August 22nd, 2006:

• Stand for peace: After a brief morning intro, we had our first round of “Stand for Peace”, our educational curriculum. I am teamed with Danni, Rafa, Raoul, Kathleen, and Kenzo. For our first attempt, we worked with 4rth graders from the Osseo school district. They were very quiet and patient with us, thankfully, because we were quite nervous and a bit unorganized (which, of course, drove me nuts). Though we didn’t get through all the activities, I think the kids had fun. They laughed a bit and they appeared to understand the overall message. Hopefully next time we’ll get our transitions down so we don’t lose their attention and energy.
• Dinner with Jane, Joel, and Kristen: Back home, Yamil and I had barbecue with Jane and Joel. Kristen joined us for a bit. I really enjoyed this. We talked about education and some of the affairs of the world. I’m beginning to find that ERIK DOES HAVE OPPINIONS! Check that out.
• Mai Tais while Jane is at Jail: For the evening, Yamil and I walked around a local mall and went to a bar at PF Changs. I was trying to find him scorpion bowls as he has never tried them, but unfortunately they only had Mai Tais. Meanwhile, Jane was visiting one of her friends, a young man she had befriended who is presently in jail. She clearly has a big heart. She helps to run a coffee shop, Segue, which targets the young adult/ adolescents in the area. How cool, huh? And she clearly gets to know her patrons and becomes an integral part of their lives. If only there were more Janes in the world and more safe spaces for teens to “chill” instead of getting into trouble.