Read my review of Savanah, GA’s Gryphon Tea Room and Exhibit A Store (both part of the Savannah College of Art and Design) on Wandering Educators.

Welcome to the third part of our interview with travel writer Dave Fox. If you love to travel, wish you could travel, love to write or wish you could write, you’re gonna love Dave Fox.

In case you missed either of the first 2 parts of this interview, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

You advise your readers to expect the unexpected when traveling. In Getting Lost you write about getting food poisoning in Istanbul, which made you gravely ill for many months. Was that the worst traveling experience you have ever had?

“Food poisoning” is putting it mildly. It was more like “food nuclear armageddon.” I was very ill and very frightened. What was incredibly powerful about the experience though, was writing about it nearly two decades later in a book of travel humor essays. “When Salads Attack” is one of my favorite chapters in Getting Lost.

It was cathartic to write about such a horrible experience and try to make it funny. It was tough; I had to relive some unpleasant stuff – not just the health problems, but some painful personal issues I was going through at the time as well. And I felt like the chapter had to be in the book, or there would have been a gaping hole in the bigger story. I felt like I was finally at peace with one of my most traumatic experiences ever – not just traveling, but in life in general.

http://www.aperfectworld.org

The humor in your writing is so refreshing. Have you always been funny?

People often don’t believe this about me, but as a child and into adolescence, I was a shy, awkward, and introverted. Occasionally, I would attempt to come out of my shell and try too hard – kind of like the annoying guy at the party with the lampshade on his head. Travel in foreign places is what helped me accept and share myself, and do so in a more natural way.

The humorous part of me started emerging in high school, though the awkward part was still overshadowing most of the time. I began writing to express things about myself that I couldn’t express otherwise. I got interested in journalism, and also wrote a lot of self-absorbed adolescent poetry. I had a couple of teachers who encouraged me to keep writing. I started experimenting, and started writing funny stuff.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized humor is a genre that comes fairly naturally to me. Actually, my past insecurities have made me comfortable with a self-deprecating writing style, which lends itself well to travel humor. When I started pursuing professional humor writing, 7 or 8 years ago, I took a very geeky approach at first, trying to understand what makes things funny, stretching something funny into something funnier.

So I’d say humor is something I’ve always had in me, but it has taken a lot of time to coax it out – to not only share it with the rest of the world, but to share it with myself as well.

Of all the places you’ve been in the world, what is your absolute favorite?
People ask me that a lot, but I can’t compare Norway to Turkey to Samoa to Vietnam and come up with a favorite. They’re all so different.

Is there any destination you’d like to see, that you haven’t visited yet?

Yes. Greenland, Tuvalu, Argentina, Cape Verde, Albania, Iran, Botswana, Antarctica, the Faroe Islands, Cyprus, Bahrain, Kiribati, Jamaica, China, and Texas, to name a few.

Thanks, Dave!!!

Stay tuned next week for the last part of this interview, Part 4.

Drastic changes take place after elementary school, and the truth is that there is no “gradual” transition into midde school. My daughter was not the only one to experience this when she entered middle school; it seems to be a nationwide occurrence. I have spoken to many friends and family members in other states (with kids in both public and private schools, gifted and regular classes) who agree there is a big adjustment. So it is wise to get your child ready. The most notable change is the sheer volume of homework and projects. Honestly, it can be overwhelming. It is not necessarily that the work is too hard; it is simply that it can be too much.

In elementary school you generally have one teacher and stay in one classroom. Homework is at a minimum and most often includes worksheets. The majority of the work is completed in the classroom, and the teacher has 25 students.

In middle school, students change class 6 or 7 times, and have a different teacher for each course. A large stack of full-sized textbooks are needed both at school and at home. Teachers have between 125 and 175 students during the course of the school day. There is a lot more homework, and there are many more tests. On top of that someone somewhere decided that middle schools students should be given numerous comprehensive projects each year. These include science fair, world history, art, literary projects and more. There are both solo and group projects, and they may include research, making posters, displays, 3D boxes and experiments. During 7th grade, my daughter had 5 huge projects, and spent her entire spring break doing 3 of them. She was and still is an excellent student and is not a procrastinator.

http://www.teacherfiles.com

Here are some tips:

1. If you have a child who did not demonstrate self-motivation during elementary school, or has behavior problems, do not put that child in honors or gifted classes in middle school.
2. Talk to your child about how middle school is different from elementary school.
3. Visit the school during Open House before it starts. Walk around and find your child’s classrooms, so the first day of school is not stressful.
4. Meet your child’s teachers during Open House and get their phone numbers and email addresses.
5. Know that most teachers do not mind hearing from you and want to be there for their students.
6. Ask the right questions. How much homework is reasonable for a 6th grader? What type of tutoring is available at the school?
7. Check your child’s calendar each day to see what homework has been assigned, until you are sure she is self-sufficient.
8. If you feel your child is struggling in a class, even if it just one worksheet, chapter or test, immediately get him to talk to the teacher for a one-on-one lesson.
9. During homework time at home, turn off your child’s cell phone. In 7th grade my daughter was called excessively by classmates for homework help and mostly for verification for exactly what the homework assignment was. I felt the teacher communication with the students was not clear enough. I complained to the teachers but unfortunately did not get much support.
10. When projects are assigned, have your child read the directions several times, and ask the teacher questions about anything that is unclear. Have a stack of display boards and craft supplies on hand.
11. Do your best to help your child gain independence and be responsible for his own work. But do step in when you feel the situation is not getting resolved.
12. Do not overdo extracurricular activities, but do make sure your child gets enough exercise and has some fun with friends!
13. Know that middle school is a big adjustment, and you will get through it like the millions before you.

Today is my daughter Rachel’s 17th Birthday! She is 17, born on Aug 17 at 11:17pm.

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

You’re  the best gift I’ve ever received.

Homemade chocolate peanut butter mousse cake!

http://www.free-clipart-pictures.net

1. Picnic at the beach or the pool, even if it is a tiny blow up pool in your own back yard.
2. Run through the sprinkler with the kids and the dog.
3. Have a water balloon fight.
4. Blow tons of bubbles, and take turns popping them.
5. Sleep in a tent in your yard or in the family room.
6. Make a craft using found objects like seashells (Wreath for a door, decorate a box).
7. Pick and press some summer flowers for your garden.
8. Take turns reading and acting out a funny story out loud.
9. Make some lemonade and cookies, and share them with someone you like.
10. Turn off all the lights at night and make interesting shadows on the wall with a flashlight.
11. Wear your PJs all day long.
12. Have a game marathon all day long.
13. Paint a picture of your favorite thing about your summer.
14. Sing songs and act silly.
15. Eat chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.
16. Spend the day at your favorite park.
17. Look for bugs in the garden, and when you find them, look at them through a magnifying glass and then identify them by looking up pictures on line
18. Plant some seeds for all plants
19. Take a walk in a neighborhood you’ve never walked in before.
20. Have a special day for your pet. Play games, take her to the park, get her a special treat.
21. Have a block party.
22. Organize a baseball game with other families.
23. Make a scrapbook of your summer vacation.
24. Play in the rain (as long as there is no lightning!)
25. Have everyone in the family choose toppings and make their own ice cream sundae.

Can you find me in this picture? I cleaned out our guestroom, closet and all. I even washed the walls and shelves in there. Filthy! Camping gear, huge backpack, sleeping bags, fishing tackle, luggage, old photos and letters, yearbooks from high school, Christmas train set, wrapping paper, stacks of picture frames and other stuff I never knew what to do with. It is a mystery how all that STUFF ever fit in that closet!I am happy to say I removed 75%, which I am going to donate today.

Lessons learned:

1. Closets get very, very dusty. I sneezed right through the mask I was wearing.
2. Do not just throw things you do not know what to do with in closets. Get rid of those things.
3. Do not keep items you no longer use.
4. Do not buy anything you do not absolutely need. At this point, I never want to shop again.
5. Donate items as soon as you find them. Don’t pile them up for months.
6. Reward yourself every time you clean out a closet, shelf or room.

Summer is not officially over until September 21, but since my daughter has to go back to high school on Tuesday, Aug 18 (her senior year!), it feels like summer is coming to an end. I realized long ago that the only way to make time go by slower is to experience something painful or painfully boring (i.e., broken bone, bad experience, nasty argument, nothing to do, etc.). And who wants that? Not me! It was bad enough that I broke my toe in the neighbor’s pool on July 5th and have been hobbling every since. But it wasn’t enough to make the time go by slowly.

http://classroomclipart.com

Also, are you like me and feel like the new year starts with the beginning of the school year, rather than January 1? What is up with that? It’s the start of a fresh school year for our kids, and marks a new cycle.I think this is a good thing.

Did you ever notice that the time between the new school year and Christmas seems like only a few weeks? I suppose it is because there is so much going on. How do we slow it down? Schedule less stuff. Simplify. Make time for family. Just say no to signing up for things.

In any event, we simply cannot stop time from flying by. We can just enjoy every moment.

Please read my latest article on Wandering Educators.

Many US schools are back in session during August. Here are some tips to get your kids ready for their first day…

http://free-clipart.net/

1. Sleep – If they have been staying up later during the summer like most kids, start reversing that cycle one week before school. Have them go to bed a little bit earlier every night, and waking up a little bit earlier every morning. The last thing you want is hell on the first day of school trying to get them out of bed in time for school and them dragging all day due to exhaustion. Kids need to be well rested to do well in school.
2. Fuel the Mind and Body - Make nutritious meals and snacks for your kids, and cut back on the sweets and caffeine. You don’t want your children hyper or experiencing sugar crashes when school starts. Plan healthy lunches for the school year.
3. Visit the MD – Get your child a checkup. It may be required by the school, and even if it is not, it is wise to go every year. Ask about ways to prevent the Swine Flu.
4. Supplies – Go shopping with the kids for school supplies, and let them make some of the choices. It will get them in the school spirit. When you bring the supplies home from the store, let the kids organize them and put them in their backpacks.
5. Organize – Set aside part of day to help your child organize his room. Get rid of the clutter and clear a space for homework. We adults know how much the clutter in our lives affects our productivity. With a clean room, you’ll get your kid started with a new school year on the right foot.
6. Talk about School – If you have a child who really doesn’t want to go back to school, tell her positive or funny school stories about you when you were her age. Ask her why she does not want to go back, and make her feel more at ease with your reassurances.
7. Read Together – If you’ve been too busy to read a lot together this summer, start now. Have your child read to you. You might want to also practice spelling.
8. Social - Get your child together with other kids who will be in the same classroom. That will ease anxiety of facing the first day.
9. Activities – Talk to your child about after school activities, but don’t over schedule him! So many parents make the mistake of planning every minute. Kids need down time and rest. Racing home after sports or clubs day in and day out to get homework done does not produce good study habits. There are many other reasons not to over schedule, but that is a blog article in itself.
10. Encourage – Kids often feel your anxieties as well as your eagerness for school. When you are positive they will be too.

Even if you are not planning a trip to India in the near future, if you are at all interested in this fascinating country, read my review of DK Eyewitness Travel: India. Cick here. The Illustrations and photographs are unbelievable!