Dear beloved family and cherished friends,
Happy New Year to all! (Or, as they say in Spanish, ¡Prospero año nuevo!) I sincerely hope that everyone has had a good year.
As for me, 1998 was one of the most wonderful years of my life. I went to Spain for the first time and met my dearest friend, Ángeles, face-to-face. By far, the greatest vacation of my life and one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had. Besides getting to know her and her wonderful family, I saw the world-famous Museo del Prado with amazing paintings by Goya and Velázquez. And, just nearby, in the Museo Renia Sofía, was the giant "Guernica," Picasso's great outcry against the horrors of war. Also in Spain, I visited the house where Christopher Columbus died, the "Fallen Angel" of Retiro Parque, the National Museum of Sculpture, and the University of Salamanca, one of the oldest universities in the world. Somewhere between Valladolid and Madrid, I was thrown out of my seat on a train, and then the train broke down, but I still enjoyed the country so much because I was with my dearest friend in the world. She made it so lovely to just stroll down the Paseo del Almendros, hang out in the Plaza Mayor of Valladolid, or frequent the popular outdoor cafés where I sampled tapas and drank sangria. I cannot wait to return to Spain.
This year I was also very busy teaching freshman composition and introduction to literature classes. My evening students were quite fantastic--so enthused, dedicated, bright, and they wrote some excellent papers. It was a real pleasure to work with them and the evaluations were glowing. My afternoon students, unfortunately, were less dedicated, and less than half of them actually managed to pass the class, despite my constant struggles to keep the course interesting and exciting, using computer technology, occasional videos, and a trivia game I invented.
I also taught two Elderhostel classes for seniors. The participants were quite bright and kept me on my toes. One class was an examination of the career of Mark Twain and the other was a look at Modern American Poetry.
In April, I went to Chicago for the National Conference on College Composition and Communication with two of my colleagues, heard some excellent papers, met many writing professors from across the nation, and engaged in some stimulating academic discourse, as well as ran into Twila Papay, my former writing teacher from Rollins. While in Chicago, I was able to visit the John Handcock Building, the Shedd Aquarium, and see the French Impressionist paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago. I also was thrilled to visit my cousin Dana, who runs a fascinating store which sells anything scented, from incense to soaps to oil-based perfumes.
I did more traveling this year. I went to Valdosta, Georgia, for the "Mayhem 98" music festival, and then up to Virginia and Washington DC, where my sister Judi and I visited a Renaissance Faire, the National Gallery of Art where we saw some great Modern works, the Jefferson, Lincoln, and Vietnam Memorials, and visited my friend Hilary. Closer to home, I got to see a special exhibit of items salvaged from the Titanic in St. Petersburg.
I read my poetry at several poetry readings in Orlando and in Altamonte, this year. And I also delivered what was called an "excellent" torah lesson on the "holiness code" at my synagogue, but then was criticized for my failure to wear a tie.
I was just barely spared the destruction of the wildfires and tornadoes which wreaked such havoc on Central Florida, but my co-worker, Don, was killed by the tornado. Also, I mourned the deaths of my Aunt Lottie and our family's very dear friend, Lulu Dorn. Terribly sad moments.
Still, 1998 was a great and glorious year for me. Certainly a large part of that is due to that wonderful lady who lives on the other side of the planet and whom I hope to see again, very soon, in 1999. So I wish very much that the new year will be a fruitful one for us all.
Peace on Earth,
Jonathan Chisdes
(407) 320-0873