After a long and treacherous journey, from the motherland of west by god to the tundra of Canada, our first stop was to visit the exciting, intriguing, and all out fantastic, Canadian museum of science and technology. The museum was huge and exciting. Everything was so fricken cool. After walking around and seeing things like model boats, electricity and trains, I finally got the opportunity to see the o so delicious astronomy section. Lead by a peppy and just terrific guide. I traveled through space inside a dome like airy structure and saw the stars like no other man has seen before (besides the people in the dome with me of course). First we started slow experiencing basic constellations like the big dipper, and then we started seeing something special. Constellations like scorpio and Leo, and even Orion, wow!!! This was just the beginning though. The amazing thing about constellations is each constellations shows where another constellations are. For instance the big dipper has two stars forming an arrow towards Leo. By knowing these anything but trivial hints a man like myself could turn into a master astronomer. And at this time, o golly, I was so excited. After a twenty-minute thriller, I was done with astronomy and I left the museum with a smile from ear to ear. One cool thing about the museum is the outdoors. Two things really caught my eye. The first was a huge lighthouse. I am not really sure why it is there but is just exquisite. Like Waldo, it is striped bright red and white. The other thing that was cool was a huge rocket ship. It was probably 100 feet tall. Who knew Canada had a space program. All in all this was truly a great day. Who knew Canada was so awesome.

Our first day in the Ottawa valley was very exciting. We traveled to the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa City. The museum was full of very cool things, but what I thought was the most interesting was the model of how data travels through the internet.

The model is a life sized tunnel that is lined with flashing lights (for a visual effect) and small metal rods. The entry starts at ground level and goes up towards the celling. It goes around a few curves and comes to a four way intersection. In the middle of the intersection is a “router” with four buttons on it. Each button has an image on it corresponding with what “packet” you chose at the beginning of your journey. You press the button with the correct image and continue in the direction it tells you to go.

After a bend or two, I arrived at another “router” and was once again directed. I followed my path further and took a minute to enjoy my awesome vantage point. The tunnel is the only way to get above the museum floor and is thus the only place to see the majority of the museum from one place. I thought to myself “wow, what a great view!” It occurred to me that data packets don’t get a view or even have eyes, so I thought to myself, “self, I should probably continue,” so I went down my path and towards my final destination of a HUGE LCD 27” computer screen.

I reach my final “router” and could see my portal to a computer. Feelings of accomplishment and excitement rushed through my body. I ran in slow motion towards the slide down to the computer screen. I had high hopes of finding out that my data packet was something interesting like a youtube video or a funny failblog picture. When I arrived at the bottom, I found that I was an illegally downloaded mp3 file. I felt used and stolen, but my trip was exciting and worth the risk of jail.

All and all, our trip to the Canadian Science and Technology museum was a fun and educating day of school.

Keenerville- a place that feels like home to many of our students, a new corner of the world for me, a peaceful lot facing the wide expanse of the Ottawa River, and host to New River Academy for the next week! After fourteen hours driving up the interstate, our sojourn in the States is over. It is exciting to be out of the country again, even if it is only our friendly northern neighbor. Everyone is excited for a week of playboating; Cornerwave, in view just opposite our houses, is at the perfect level and beckons students to come play. Coach Tino says that the students will be mastering their blunt and helix techniques this week. For those of you who are non kayak-lingo savvy, a helix is an upside-down aerial 360 and a blunt is a 180-degree rotation.

Last week, back in West Virginia, we entertained ourselves with a variety of activities, kayaking and non-kayaking alike. Our first day back in Fayetteville, Tino took the kids to run out their energy, sprinting around playing Freeze Tag and Capture the Flag. On Tuesday, the gang headed to the New River, where some hung out at Upper Railroad, surfing the near-perfect wave, while others paddled down the entire New River run. On Wednesday, we took the group to the New River Gorge for a rock climbing mentor activity. There were not that many super easy climbs, so we settled on a nice 5.10 (intermediate level) climb. Andy Kirby and Clay Whitaker conquered the scary part by leading the climb and setting up the top rope for the rest of us to have some fun.

Another cool aspect of our time in North America is our mentor group shopping trips. On a rotating basis, each teacher takes the two students from their mentor group to shop and then out for dinner. It is an awesome way to get closer as a mentor group and to really spend time in good conversation with each other. Away from the craziness that can sometimes be our school, we are able to relax and talk as a trio. I love it!

A few of our current academic projects deserve mention as well. Tino’s history students, Taylor Cote and Eric Bartl, were given free reign to research and report on any historical event or topic. Taylor chose the Beatles, and Eric decided on the progression and change of water travel. In my English classes, Zoe Ross is creating a complicated love tragedy in the spirit of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Clay Whitaker, Alex Anderson and Eric Bartl have put together brief parodies of the novel Siddhartha, incorporating photos taken around Dave’s house in Fayetteville.

Back to this moment- from the window I can see the sun sinking onto the murmuring silver-blue of the Ottawa River. The slight breeze of the day has died down, and the evening is beautifully shining and still. Chase Simmons is talking to his girlfriend on the phone as he gazes out at the spectacular view that we are so lucky to have at our front door. Andy Kirby is out shopping (and possibly eating junk food!) with his mentor group, Alex Anderson and Matti Hill. Tino Specht, Stephen Forster and Zoe Ross are in the communal cabin, tastefully mixing together rice and veggies for this evening’s stir-fry. And I am loving this peaceful moment while I recall last week’s news.

We have some exciting trips planned for this week! On Thursday, we will travel to the Lachine for some big-wave surfing! We are also planning on visiting Matti Hill’s cabin in Muskoka, Canada (a few hours west of here) to have fun with his family’s ski boats. Finally, on our last days in Canada, we will stay with Jessica Droujko’s family and ride in a helicopter! Also, be sure to check out Tracy D’Arbeloff’s awesome student report!

Callie Morgigno

This is a parody of the novel Siddhartha that we read in English class.  It was a fun book to read.  (The words that go with each picture are above the pictures, not below them)

Siddhartha is a normal boy.  He grows up in a normal house and is a very normal teenager.  One of his favorite things to do is play the guitar.  He goes to school and does everything he is supposed to do.

Siddhartha listens to people and does what he is told.  He has straight A’s in school.  He does all his homework at night and is a very organized student.  Besides guitar, he loved to read poetry and did this for an hour every night, religiously, before he went to bed.

After Siddhartha graduated with honors from a top of the line boarding school, he left his house in the country and decided he was going to live in the city for awhile.  He wanted to live in the city because he had never had many possessions besides books.  His boarding school did not allow them because the school felt that material possessions did not make people happy.

Siddhartha goes to the city and did what most people in a big city do.  He partied really hard, shopped, met girls and many other things.  It wasn’t until after 5 months of  living in the city that he started to become an alcoholic and a drug addict.  He got into hard drugs and drank until he passed out every day.

After about 4 months of being a drunk and drug addict, his dad found out about what he was doing.  His dad did not want him to do this to himself for two reasons: one was because he loved his son and it was the only son he had.  The second reason was because he did not want to put a stain on his good family name.

His dad was determined to get his son out of the terrible life he knew his son was living.  He made his son come with him, against his will, and go to the other side of the river.  Siddhartha did not want to do this but then again, what drug addict wants to do anything anyone says. His dad took him to the river where he was going to be made to fix his life up.  His dad threw him on the boat and off he went.

The ferryman’s name was Vasudeva.  She wanted to help Siddhartha and she was determined to do so.  She yelled at him and set him straight, until he finally agreed that what he was doing was bad.  He planned on going to college and doing all of his work.

Vasudeva’s way worked for Siddhartha.  He found himself and decided he was going to go to college.  He did very well in college and did not party or join fraternities.  He was very focused on his work and got straight A’s.  He did everything he was supposed to do and truly found himself.

This is a parody on the novel Siddhartha. What you see below is not real.

Bob was a teenage boy that was tired of listening to everything his parents told him to do. Bob told his father that he was going to leave. His father responded by yelling and saying that he needed to stay and help with everything around the house. Bob said that he was going to live and go be a hobo.

Bob went for a walk in the woods to clear his head and decided he was not going to go back. He walked straight into poison ivy. Bob went down to the river to wash it off and found that the river keeps flowing and so should he.

Bob found a bum in a tent. He asked the bum if he could live with him for a little bit. The bum said that it was fine, and so he stayed with the bum.

Bob lived with the bum for a solid seven weeks before he started not liking the bum as much. He started to miss the nice qualities of his old life and started getting in fights with the bum. He told the bum that he wanted some real food instead of all the garbage they had been eating.

The bum, after long consideration, decided to kick Bob out and make him go live at home. Bob told her that he would do whatever she wanted, but she told him to take a hike and get lost!

Bob left and told the bum that he never would see her again and yelled a bit. He took the last of his food and left the tent that he had been living in for the past seven weeks.

Bob decided that the best thing to do would be to go home, so he found a road and started heading home. He was picked up by an old man who gave him a ride almost all the way back to his house. Bob went inside and his father was glad to see him safe.

Last week for English class we finished our book Siddartha. Our project to review the book was to take 8 photos summarizing a section in the book and write a paragraph about each photo.

Once there was a man who was sad because he defied his morals and became corrupt. His name was Siddartha. He traveled to the city from the forest in hopes of expanding his knowledge and learning on his own. He met a beautiful woman who told him he must be rich in order to do well in the city. Siddartha set out to make his fortune, and did very well. He acquired lots of money and became close friends with the woman in the city. Slowly his unique way of thinking about life distorted into the stereotypical simplistic human citizen mind. He began to gamble away his riches in hopes of being able to return to his old self.

Siddartha traveled to the forest because he was so disgusted with himself. He wanted to put his past life in the city behind him and continue to learn. He traveled through the woods and had lots of thoughts. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next, but he knew that he didn’t want to return to the city. He was so alone and uncertain that he even considered suicide.

Unfortunately, before Siddartha was able to end his life, he tripped over a root in the ground and fell unconscious. He slept for many days and when he awoke he was very surprised to see his childhood friend Govinda. They talked and caught up for a while. Govinda had seen Siddartha sleeping on the forest floor and went to wake him. Govinda saw how deep of a sleep Siddartha was in and decided to wait for him to awake on his own. During the wait, Govinda had also fallen asleep. After a while, Govinda went to return to his group of traveling Samanas that he had left in order to stay and protect Siddartha.

After his meeting with Govinda, Siddartha did a lot of thinking. He considered his life and everything he had done. Siddartha knew that this moment would define the rest of his life. He could return to the city with his money and live out an unfulfilling life. He could go with Govinda and become a samana again, where he would study the teachings of others. Or he could return to the other side of the river to the forest and live on his own. He could learn more for himself and would be free to do whatever he wanted.

So Siddartha traveled to the river. There he met the ferryman. It was the same ferryman that had taken Siddartha across the river when he was a young man. He still had the same green kayaks. As the ferryman was taking Siddatha across the river, Siddartha confessed to not having any money and offered his clothing in payment. The ferryman declined graciously and said it wouldn’t be a problem. Siddartha reminded the ferryman of many years ago when he had taken him across the river for free also, since the samana Siddartha had no money to give. The Ferryman still didn’t mind the lack of payment and insisted that Siddartha stay with him for the night since Siddartha had nowhere else to go.

When the Ferryman and Siddartha arrived on the other side of the river, it was growing dark and the two men went to the Ferryman’s home. He allowed Siddartha to sleep where his once beautiful wife had slept. They had a good night and in the morning, Siddartha asked the Ferryman to teach him his trade. The Ferryman obliged and that is how they came to live together. The Ferryman taught Siddartha the ways of ferrying and also the meaning of the river.

Siddartha is now happy; he has a great friend who he enjoys living with and his job is peaceful and enjoyable. He is able to continue learning like he wanted. He discusses everything with the Ferryman and is still trying to grasp the meaning of the river. His life is perfect for him, but unfortunately for Siddartha, that doesn’t last long. One day when he was awaiting potential customers on the other side of the river, he was very surprised to see someone he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

He was approached by a desperate Kamala. She had been walking through the forest to cross the river in order to see the Buddha before he died. On her way, she was bitten by a poisonous snake and was forced to hurriedly run away, in hopes of living long enough to reach the Buddha. She also had her son with her; Siddartha had never seen him before and was surprised but excited to finally meet him. When she reached Siddartha at the river, she collapsed and soon died. Siddartha took his son and began to raise him. Unfortunately, his son was a spoiled brat and hated his father’s lifestyle of not needing material possessions. Suddenly Siddartha’s life got much more complicated, but with help from the Ferryman and the river, he was able to get through it.