Justin Pyfrom's Blog, page 5

October’s Book for 2023 Reading Challenge

For the month of October, I have read 10 books. These are the books I loved during the month of October.

          

 

These are the books I really liked during the month of October.

These are the books I liked during the month of October.

So…This Is A Much Better Plan.

WordPress is working with me to fix my website/blog so I’m going to keep this short.  The Crimeverse is coming along swimmingly and I’m beyond tired from the Halloween party that my school had.  It was amazing and now I am beat! Still, please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2023. I am happy to announce that I have completed my 2023 Challenge and still going.

Talk About Rebellion, Huh?

These past two weeks have been a testament to my patience and my ability as a teacher.  Even during the weekends, I hadn’t been able to get a real moment to breathe. Even as I type this blog, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. I mean…I knew I was going to have to deal with teenage rebellion at some point and I thought I was really for it. Oh, boy, I was so wrong.

Like any other teenager, I went through my own phase of teenage rebellion. I was a nightmare for my grandmother and thank God for her patience.  For the record, I wasn’t a bad kid; I just a lot of pain from my father’s death and really smart mouth. I mean I was a terrifying smartarse who didn’t care about feelings when someone tried to bully me. I also wouldn’t let anybody make me feel less than and I was always…angry. I managed to pull myself out of it and became a better person, but it’s something when looking back. So, I figured that I would help them through theirs. Seems easy, right? Absolutely not.

I was grossly underprepared for it all. I was dealing with Chinese teenagers who wanted to feel like adults with actual freedom. Worse yet, the Chinese staff wouldn’t let them. They were trying to “keep them in line” which was only making it worse for everybody. Then, when I tried to get things back to normal, I had to deal with more opposition from the Chinese staff which led to more rebellion from my students. And I do mean a lot of rebellion. Enough rebellion that I had to turn strict on them…which also didn’t help too much. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Turn. Turn. Turn.

This is exactly what it was like for me and almost every other teenager.  I tried to get some semblance of freedom/independence only for someone to take it away from me under the guise of “keeping me in my place”. And, like clockwise, I would lash out in retaliation only to be punished for lashing out which made me last out more. Yeah? Again, it’s like looking into the mirror of the past. I need to call my grandma. She raised four kids and a host of grandkids, including myself; maybe she can give me some pointers.

Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2023. I aim to read 200 books this year and am currently 187. The Outlander will have to wait until November or so because it is beyond long. Besides, it’s October; it’s meant for ghost stories.

September’s Book for 2023 Reading Challenge

For the month of August, I have read 14 books. These are the books I loved during the month of September.

These are the books I liked during the month of September.

Three Weeks and I’m Already Tired

It has been three weeks, and I am already tired. Yes! I’m three weeks into the new high school semester, and I can feel new gray hair growing. I should be annoyed about it, but it’s the opposite. I’m happy. Elated, even. I’m back with my students – old and new – and I’m teaching old and new material. But teaching isn’t the only thing that causes more gray hair to grow. A lot more, actually.

As of now, I have my hands on three projects.

The first one is my coveted LGBTQ Crimeverse which is coming along swimmingly. The photoshoots are done which allows me to actually “see” my characters. Plus, I got to make more connections and learn new skills for when I go to Spain. I’m also working on the final touches on the re-release of my 2017 book with everything done correctly this time around. Additionally, I’m combining my forty-five short stories into one for a much later release – probably late-2024 or mid-2025. Finally, my friends from back home are working on a fantasy story with us as the main characters. That’s going to be a lot of fun.

Because of the first stretch of it all, I chose to opt out of this semester. Editing two books, laying the foundation for a fantasy series, and making sure that my students are getting properly accumulated is a lot for me to handle on top of school so…yeah, it just made sense. But it’s only going to be for one semester and, then, I’m going to bulldoze through the rest of those classes.

In the meantime, I have sixteen students to take care of. They all need specific approaches to learning and I need to learn it. Along with that, they are in need of guidance for their Senior Project so they will have something to show their universities. Plus, it will allow them to learn more about their respective field and decide if it’s actually something they want to pursue. This is going to be a good year.

Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2023. I aim to read 200 books this year and am currently 157. The Outlander is taking a lot longer than I thought. Luckily, October is going to be full of scary stories to be read.

I Guide, You Drive

The first week of school is completed, and I am beyond proud of my students. My class got bigger by three students, and I’m already enamored by their dedication to their goals. Most of them already know what they want to major in for their university while some have an idea but not where to start. However, a few of them don’t know what they want to do because of the many choices available to them.  Sure, they are nervous about that…but I let them know that that’s part of the fun of their journey.

I told them that the path that led me to be an author and a teacher was a long one with twists, turns, and many many setbacks. I got my Bachelor’s in one degree (Game Design) only to realize that my true love went deeper than that. So, I had a love for something that I didn’t have any academic insight into; I had to learn everything about that love from scratch. I had to try things, make mistakes, and try again from a different approach.

Was it difficult? Definitely!

Would it get annoying at times? GOD, YES!!!

Did I think about giving up? I would be lying if I said “I didn’t”, but my ambition – and stubbornness – outweighed the negativity I was feeling at that time.

My students asked me if I could help them with their major. I told them that’s part of my job description: to make them better than me. Now, I know the meaning of that Senior Project that I had to do in high school. It was a way for us to get a glimpse of what we were planning to do with the rest of our lives – to see if we liked it. So, for the next three years, all of my students have their own Senior Project to do – and maintain – for the rest of the time they are under my supervisor. A project that will show universities that they are dedicated to their chosen field and allow them to get firsthand experience of what they should come to expect.

They asked me if I was going to help them with it. I told them what I always tell them: I guide, you drive. In other words, tell me where you want to go and I’ll help you get there to the best of my abilities.

Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2023. I aim to read 200 books this year and am currently 156. Right now, I’m still trying to get through all the audiobooks that are under five hours before moving back to The Great Courses while taking a stab at The Outlander series.

August’s Book for 2023 Reading Challenge

For the month of August, I have read 18 books. These are the books I loved during the month of August.

         

These are the books I really liked during the month of August.

These are the books I liked during the month of August.

July’s Book for 2023 Reading Challenge

For the month of July, I have read 28 books. These are the books I loved during the month of July.    

These are the books I really liked during the month of July.

These are the books I liked during the month of July.

Barcelona…You Magnificent Bitch!!

For thirteen days, I was in the “Comital City” and fell in love with everything about it. The people. The food. The history. Everything about Barcelona was what I was missing in China and what I wished America could be. I still do, actually.  However, I will not focus on that. Instead, I will gush over what I did in the lively city. But where do I start? Oh! I know! I’ll start with my living arrangement.

So, I decided to stay in a hostel though the suggestion of my friends and family. See, I am an ambivert and very much capable of holding a conversation; that’s not the problem for me. It’s my habit of getting inside of my own head and becoming quite comfortable there hence why they didn’t want me in a hotel. If I were in a hotel, I would have no incentive to explore and make friends. Now, whenever I travel, I will definitely use a hostel. It’s cheaper and the people are so nice. The staff was happy to tell you where you find what you’re looking for. For example, I wanted to know where I can listen to jazz and they immediately gave me the top two. The hostel, itself, was lovely because of its simplicity. It has a terrace and a common room that I frequent almost every night. But the fun came when I put myself out there.

The people were so friendly and accommodating. They can see that I wanted to improve my Spanish-speaking skills and quickly switch to Spanish to help me. They even spoke slowly and allowed me to gather my thoughts. Sure, all of them speak English as their education systems require them to, but it’s nice to hear them speak in their native tongue. Plus, like I always say, Spanish is so much sexier than English.

I visited various museums to learn about the history of the city. My favorite one was learning about Antoni Gaudi as he built a good portion of the famous buildings of the city. I really liked the fact that I could listen to the lecture while walking around. Additionally, I got to look at some of the street art that filled the alleyways; that reminded me of Philadelphia. But it was the gay village I was the most interested in and it didn’t disappoint.

The nightlife was amazing and everybody was so friendly in helping me find the bars and such. Ironically, the hostel was right next to the gay village which I’m still laughing about while writing this. Now, I must say that everything in Europe is a lot…freer. See, all the gay bars that I went to had a darkroom where you could have a quick hookup without leaving that said bar. Logical for Europeans, but Americans need that cold air to rethink it hence why how bathhouses/dark rooms are separate from the bars. Even still, the bars were fantastic and I had an amazing time with the bartenders and locals. Being a teacher and author is a really good conversation starter.

The beach was a bit of a cultural shock for me. I knew Europeans had a liberal approach to nudity, but I didn’t fully register it until I actually got there. EVERYBODY was naked. Men. Women. Teenagers. Even kids. That really threw me off because I’m thinking like an American. But, it’s also that reason why I had to get over it. I was conditioned to think that way while they were conditioned to see it as natural. I didn’t get naked, though I still made friends with a couple of nudists who understood my hesitation.

Finally, I want to talk about the food. It’s a well-known fact that Paella is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine so, of course, I wanted to try it. What I didn’t know what that they came in varieties. That wasn’t too much of a problem for me since I don’t eat seafood and I was going to stick to the basics for my first time. So, chicken and vegetables for me; both of them were phantasmal though I liked chicken more. I got to try out a variety of tapas, only disliking one of them (a deep-fried bikini). Bikinis are brilliant ham-and-cheese sandwich that works wonders for breakfast and, hands down, my favorite Spaniard food. Also, cafe con leche (coffee with milk) might become my new default.

Barcelona was the breath of fresh air I need in a long time. I definitely need to go back…after New Zealand, of course. I mean…I do plan on moving there after I’m done with China.

Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2023. I aim to read 200 books this year and am currently 135. Right now, I’m trying to get through all the audiobooks that are under five hours before moving back to The Great Courses.

Finally! Barcelona, Here I Come…

Last year, China lifted the travel ban for obvious reasons, i.e., tourists make up most of their revenue. It doesn’t matter because I finally get to travel to different countries during holidays. At first, we were all hesitant about it because we didn’t really trust them (the government) so our boss volunteered as tribute. as he wanted to visit his family. He left and came back safe and sound so now we are all traveling to different places. For me, it’s Barcelona.

I’ve always wanted to travel since I got a teaching job in China. That was one of the top 3 reasons why I decided to teach abroad with the other two being worldly experience and teaching experience. Looking back, I didn’t realize that I wanted to be a teacher; I thought it was an author and that’s it. Anyway, because of COVID, all forms of travel became impossible and I had to put my dream of Barcelona on hold. For three years, it was like that and now I can finally go.

Spain has always been one of my favorite countries, along with Japan and New Zealand. And, now, as of this month, I am finally able to travel there. My flight is booked, my room and board are settled (I’m staying in a hostel), and my currency situation is being taken care of (currency exchange at the airport). I was advised to use a hostel as it would force me to engage with people. I’m an ambivert but a little more introverted than an extrovert so my family and friends figure that a hostel would be better for me. This is going to be interesting.

I even made a list of tourist traps to avoid as I want to check out the museums and beaches. I also want to visit The Gaixample, Barcelona’s gay village, for obvious reasons. I can’t wait to see how the people of my community live in Europe. Plus, it would be a bonus if the hostel were housing gay men. I mean…I did find it on misterBnB; it would be likely right? I might go to one club. Might! I’m not the biggest fan of clubs; I prefer bars.

Oh God…I CAN’T wait for this new adventure.

Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2023. I aim to read 200 books this year and am currently 114. I’m starting to read through The Walking Dead comic book series and I want to do the same with Magic The Gathering.