The Walnut

While I was finishing my studies at Abilene Christian University (ACU), I was able to do some work as a substitute teacher. I was able to step into all sorts of classes. I taught middle school math or science. I was able to teach English (which was my area of expertise). I even substituted in a school which was the last stop for kids who couldn’t seem to make it (because of their behavior) at any other school in the city. All of these opportunities confirmed that I wanted to be a teacher.

I graduated in December of 1988 and did a lot more substituting in the semester following. But in September 1989 I was able to start as a real English teacher at Abilene High School (AHS) downtown Abilene, Texas. I had 10th grade English groups and an 11th grade literature group. The 10th graders came into the class needing to learn the basics (past what they had already learned). This meant that I was also teaching some composition. 

For one section, I wanted to introduce poetry, explaining what it was and how it worked. We talked about the different sorts of meter, rhythm and rhyme. We looked at various examples, including some songs and rap (which was beginning to make its way in the music world - even in Abilene, Texas). To help my students practice writing their own poetry, I brought certain visual elements into class and explained how they could be used.

Whenever I gave my class a task, I took part in the task as well. That way they knew that I was not asking them something impossible or simply time-consuming and boring (although they may still have thought that). For this project I brought along a worn out sneaker, a stone, a walnut and a few other items. 

At the end of the class the students could share, if they desired, their poetry with the class. They were required to hand it in (so that I could see what they had done). They asked if I had done anything, which I had. I had written a poem based on the sneaker and a poem based on the walnut. 

The poem on the walnut turned into this song about a conversation between a grandpa and his grandson. A few weeks ago I played the song at Family Camp, billing the act for the talent night as “First time grandpa” singing “The Walnut”. We have become grandparents since the end of June this year, so I thought the song fit the event. 

Afterwards someone asked me when I had written the song, thinking that it was new. I looked up as I recalled the years and replied, “1990, I think.” The questioner was surprised. “What? But didn’t you just become a grandpa?” So this song has been waiting in the wings for some 30 years (Stephan was only just born when it was written) until the right moment. But the thoughts remain true, no matter when they are passed on. 

How do you think of your grandparents? What do you do with them? How are you as a grandparent? What do you enjoy doing with your grandkids?

Whodunit Wednesday: Film

As a New Years starts some people look to the various awards ceremonies for film which will soon be talked about. People will watch other people walk down a red carpet, listen to names presented and decide if a movie is worth watching or not - sometimes simply based on whether there has been an award or not. 

The Dutch-language world is quite small, so although there is a Dutch-language film market, most Dutch-language film makers make their films in English. Paul Verhoeven known Dutch filmmakers include Paul Verhoeven was a film director who was successful with both Dutch-language films and within the world scene. Although his movies not be ones you might have seen, they were well received within the film world and include: RoboCop, Total Recall, Starship Trooper, Hollow Man and Basic Instinct. 

Dutchman Theo Van Gogh is best known perhaps because of his name and the fact that he was assassinated because of his film content. He made controversial films about controversial politicians. The film for which he was murdered was about women in Islam and their treatment. 

Jan de Bont is another Dutch film director, perhaps best known for his action films Speed and Twister, but he also worked as director of photography on films such as Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October and Basic Instinct. 

For Belgians, the list runs a bit differently. Belgium is of course a multi-language market, serving both Dutch speakers and French speakers. The French-speaking market is much larger than the Dutch-speaking market. There have been plenty of directors within the French-speaking market who would not be known by English-speaking followers of film. 

Chantal Akermans is best known for her film ‘Jeanne Dielman’ which is considered by some in the film world to be one of the best films made. Others, like Akermans, have made their fame either in Dutch or French, including Stijn Coninx, the Dardenne brothers and Erik Van Looy. Van Looy directed his film ‘The Loft’ first in Dutch before also directing the US-remake. 

More recently films like “The Broken Circle Breakdown” and “Beautiful Boy” from Felix van Groeningen, “Girl” from Lukas Dhont, “Bullhead” from Michaël R. Roskam, and the “Bad Boys for Life” with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have brought Belgian filmmakers into the spotlight. 

Depending on what kind of film you might watch, what kind of film might garner an award (Foreign Language film, for example), or if a film is in English or not, you might have watched or be planning to watch a film by a Dutch or Belgian director. Sometimes the name might give it away (with a “van” or “de” in the middle), but you might not know unless you look into it a bit further.