World Cup in Qatar

 Croatia won the World Cup bronze (3rd place) today in Qatar vs. Morocco. Tomorrow is the final with Argentina vs. France. I was wondering where Italy was this World Cup because Italy is usually a big team. Apparently Italy has not been able to qualify for the last two World Cups. I really hope we, the USA, not only get into the World Cup in Atlanta in 2026, but win the whole entire tournament. Our men's team deserves to win as it'll be a first World Cup win for the United States Men's National Team ever! 

This World Cup has been a whirlwind of emotions. I cried when the USA won vs. Iran. Watching the player from Iran hug our US player and cry on his shoulder was such an emotional moment. Iran has been going through so much turmoil and people are rising up and speaking about what has been happening. The moment when the Iranian player hugged our player and cried was a moment that represented the human connection between us throughout this time period and how we feel towards Iranians. The same US player, in the locker room after the game, put his face in his hands and cried. The brotherhood of man can be so incredibly beautiful. 

The US journalist, Grant Wahl, in Qatar, was denied entry to the first game because he was wearing a rainbow shirt and that type of apparel was not allowed. Apparently FIFA and the stadium representatives from Qatar later apologized to Grant Wahl for the incident and he was released about 25 minutes later. As the World Cup continued, the journalist was apparently not feeling well and he eventually collapsed in his chair during the Netherlands game vs. Argentina in the overtime part of the game. This collapse led to his death. The soccer community has been devastated by this news. 

The emptiness from the death of Grant Wahl still lingers.

This is the type of emptiness we feel from Iran.

This is the type of emptiness we feel from Ukraine. 

As the World Cup continues, I sometimes feel like there's nothing I should say, nothing I should write. It's just emptiness in that place that was once full of life. How do we continue? 

I look at Croatia and Morocco on the map and think about visiting the places where I can look out onto the vast ocean. 

I look forward to watching the World Cup final early tomorrow morning and thank God that I am able. 

May the ones we've lost along the way rest in peace and loved ones be filled with comfort. 

Perfect Pitch

 Today is the first World Cup game I've been able to watch. The seats were from a Youtube.com live streaming via PITCH sports site. We had a birds eye view of the USA vs. England game, but I was happy to watch it nonetheless. When a foul or anything of the sort happened, we had a closer look. I can't complain. For the first time I've wanted to watch a sports game live I didn't need to jump through hoops or leave home to watch the game. It was definitely a step in the right direction. 

Social media sites have made so much connection possible but we still have to watch World Cup games through certain networks if we want to have a clear view. Same with other sports. For those reasons, I really appreciated being able to watch the game through the live stream today, for free. On Tuesday, when USA plays Iran, I'll try to post it here if it's available again. 

USA and Wales tied 1-1 first game, Iran lost to England 6-2, USA and England tied 0-0, Iran won vs. Wales 2-0. Now USA is going to play Iran on Tuesday and the outcome, I'd have to admit, seems quite unpredictable. I am really looking forward to watching the game, hopefully, from the comfort of home. What is it that makes teams win? I believe it's a combination of factors similar to the Lottery. 

1st US World Cup 2022 Game

 Today at 11 am we are watching the first US World Cup Game of 2022! We, the US, are playing Wales first. The World Cup is an amazing event that brings people all around the world together to enjoy their favorite sport, soccer (football). The differences between us somehow find common ground and we work together toward a common goal. We learned about Qatar this year. 

Qatar looks like an incredible place to visit and is known to be one of the wealthiest places in the world. The lights from the shiny (unique architecture) buildings gleam on the water at night and the city appears to be cleanly fully energized! It is such an honor for our US Men's National Team to be able to travel to Qatar and play in the World Cup! 

World Cup 2022

 If I were playing in the World Cup I'd want to have my typical before and after the big game/s meals I had as a kid every weekend when our life revolved around soccer. 

Chinese food the night before. Chicken and asparagus or broccoli, steamy white rice, hot and sour soup with no meat, unlimited water and lots of green tea with sugar. In the morning before the game its oatmeal with brown sugar and creamy milk with a side of hash browns plus ketchup. As always, lots and lots of water. Lunch is chicken kabobs with white rice and roasted tomato and some lemon slices, mast o khiar and bread with butter. Iced water with a straw and some dough. 

Every single weekend. Best meals ever. 

World Cup

  Do I believe we can win? 

Yes, I believe we can win? 

Why? 

Well, we are a very young team and I believe that's our advantage this World Cup. 

I believe there is more to the World Cup than we understand. 

When we play on a world stage, is being young an advantage? 

Yes, when we're young, we can play. 

On a professional level? 

Together we can. 

Do you believe? 

That's a good start. 

What are we? Lots of fish swimming together? 

We are the core.

We are the stars dancing in the light of the moon. 

Fur Elise

 

Bach Favorite

 

Education

 In the classroom, we tend to lose sight of what is happening in the world. Our hearing becomes selective. Are you saying the sounds of the letters the right way becomes the question. We touch the papers, open our scented markers and smell. The grape one is my favorite. I can smell just thinking about it. We taste the drink of water we have when we’re focused on our work. We know when we are thirsty because we have time to pay attention. The lessons are hopefully more enlightening than overwhelming. The work load is bearable or it should be modified so that it is. We know how to make it through the day. Learning is fun because it is safe to learn. How do we continue to create that type of environment for our students and each other? 

The Little White House

 In our search for the right home for our family, we found one that I, of course, fell in love with. It’s an old house and a small one. Our search has been fruitless and we’re getting tired of believing we can get the right one for us. This one fell into that category because the price was out of our reach (according to the typical factors of real estate). My son’s baseball game ended early because of the rain and hail so I actually drove through the driveway during the last minutes of the open house. 

I imagined us living there and designing our life accordingly. On our way out of the driveway I had to swerve around the rose bushes in order for them not to scrape the side of my car. So I stared at them, accidentally. Wow, those are gorgeous, I thought. They were bright in the rain like a light in the dark. I couldn’t stop staring at them. The woman who lived there passed away inside of the house. She was in her mid 90’s and was walking the property days before she passed. A good omen, I said. 

Later that evening I laid in my bed visualizing the garden and our small family loving the house and every part of the property. What upgrades would be necessary? How would we enjoy the space? What would our life look like? How can I make this happen? I went over it all in my mind and was completely and hopelessly in love. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice… one that I know and love dearly. “We love you too.”, she said. And she was speaking for the roses. 

The Script

 I wrote part of a script. It’s one of those things where I can sort of visualize pieces of the movie, but it’s still in pieces. I thought I could write the entire script in one to two months. Half a year later, I’m starting to implement some dialogue after four main narratives. I love it. It includes my favorite teaching material which is all about the United States and the foundation of, centered around the game of baseball. It’s complex and multifaceted, just like the melting pot of the United States. I suppose it’s a goal worth finishing. I pretend I know how to write a script even though in reality I have not ever tried nor studied the craft. I’m telling multiple stories, creating, teaching and putting it into one piece of work. We’re going to need a team to accomplish this goal. 

That’s the Truth

 The best kind of performances are the ones that evoke emotion. A performance is usually telling a story that is beautiful and complex, put together into a perspective that can be somehow understood. I love the ice skating performances I posted. They both brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. Ice skating is somewhat relatable to me because I was once an ice skater. I understand how extremely difficult the jumps are and how bruised your hips get during practices. How nerve racking it is to get out onto the ice and try to land every jump with ease, but somehow the nerves disappear in the performance whether one has a perfect skate or not. When it’s time to perform, it’s time to perform and all you have left is to give it your very best. 

It reminds me of when my Dad coached me in soccer. He pulled me to the sideline when I was having a hard game and he said, “Suzie, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. What matters is that when you step out onto that field, you don’t give 100% effort, you give 110% effort. Every tackle, every head ball, every shot, every pass. If you leave everything you have inside of you on that field, by the end of the game, it won’t matter if you win or lose. You’ll be happy either way.” And that’s the truth. 

Gold for Nathan Chen

 

Mariah Bell Wins Gold

Dreaming

 Disneyland has a new annual pass program, except the passes are called, “keys”. There are apparently 4 keys. I learned about the “Imagine Key” pass, which is for Southern California residents only. It’s $399/yr which can be spread out into monthly payments after a down payment of $179, so that’d be $18.34/mo. This key comes with several perks such as being able to make 2 reservations at a time. There are select days that we can’t use this pass, of course Christmas and such, but I appreciate the affordability of this pass. The parking is not included and sometimes you can get lucky with parking and other times it can cost up to $20+/visit. 

For parking reasons, I opt to get parking that is included with my pass. With the new “keys”, this would be the “Dream Key” pass. This is the one I’d like to get. I like to park in the structure where I can catch the tram into the park, etc. The “Dream Key” pass is the one for me. It’s $1399/year, with a 15% discount off of food and beverages and a 20% discount off of merchandise. And, of course, free parking in the structure with this “Dream Key”. With the “Dream Key”, we can make up to 6 reservations at a time. 

These two are the passes I found most useful knowing about on my quest to find out more information about the new annual passes. 

Traveling

 I wonder what the park is like now. We haven’t been since the pandemic started. We all miss Disneyland. It’s come up several times in conversations among our family since we’ve found a new routine. The kids really miss it. To say I’d like us to get the new annual keys would be an understatement. 

A part of me wants to fly… to be among the people at the Disneyland in Paris, France. To hear my boys speaking French and learning to live in a new place. My mind… thinking of far away ideas that… I don’t want to let myself think it could ever happen. But I’d sure love to blog about it. 

I applied to be a Creative Director at the Disneyland in Paris, France and I look at the dashboard once in a while on my Disney Careers page. It still says my application is being reviewed. It’s been a while so I’m guessing someone who speaks French looked at it, and it went no further. Nevertheless, I still like that it’s an open application because it leaves me some room to believe in the possibilities that might be. 

Not Today Bruno

“ 2022 is your year! 🎉 When in doubt: Silenzio, Bruno!” - @Disney 

“Silenzio Bruno!!!”, Ellington and Maximillian say as they ride their bikes down the hill. I laugh. It’s such an endearing term we’ve learned to love. 

For those who don’t already know what it means:

In the movie “Luca”, the one kid tells the other kid that when he gets scared and doesn’t think he can accomplish what he set out to do, that voice inside of his head is named “Bruno” and he just needs to tell it to be quiet. Since the movie is based in a small Italian village, the language he uses to silence the voice that makes him not think he can accomplish his goals is, “Silenzio Bruno!”. This year, in our goals and resolutions, may we remember to “Silenzio Bruno” when we need to. 

Thanks to the quote board in Starbucks I found this gem:

“Let go of the thoughts that don’t make you strong.” - Karen Salmansohn

Mind Travel

 The World Cup 2022 is expected to take place in Qatar from November 21 - December 18th, according to FIFA. A place I didn’t even know existed until this scheduled World Cup. I’m happy I am aware of it now because it appears to be remarkably gorgeous. 

As I learned about Puerto Rico last night because of the coverage received in New Years celebrations on ABC, I longed to travel to experience the bliss of those beaches. 

I remind myself to keep an open mind and remain hopeful through this pandemic.