Rants and Raves

A rave for Netflix

My wife and I sat down to watch a video for the first time since I can remember.  We watched "The Devil Wears Prada," a cute movie about the cutthroat fashion industry.  While the movie was fun, I was more impressed by Netflix.com.  I signed us up for Netflix, the online video rental site, because we don’t have a motor vehicle here in Virginia and don’t have easy pedestrian access to a video store.  Plus, I suspect that we won’t have access in Paraguay to a good, convenient video store stocked with English-language Hollywood videos, so I thought that Netflix would fit the bill.  If you already use Netflix, you know the drill.  You make a list of videos you want to see, rank them, and Netflix will ship them to you based on the subscription plan you choose.  After you watch one, you mail it back in the free mailer Netflix provides, and Netflix will send you your next video.  While the price comes to about $3.00 per DVD, not exactly a bargain, it’s worthwhile to subscribe to Netflix when you are living overseas or don’t have easy access to a video store.  Plus, with 75,000 titles, it’s fairly easy to find movies you want to watch.  Most video stores carry far fewer titles.  Of course, a search for the movie "The Honorary Consul" turned up empty, but I was able to find "Moon over Parador" on Netflix (both movies prominently feature Paraguay).
 
I remember times when I would walk around the New Release section of a video store and scratch my head looking for something to watch.  Friday nights were especially trying.  I could always find copies of "Vampire Girls from Mars" and its ilk, but who wants to waste money on leftover videos?  I would much rather go online, make a list of videos I want to watch, pick them up in the mail, send them back by mail when they’re done, and pay by credit card.  So, I’m sold.  Netflix should work out just fine.

A Rave for Montessori

Last month my son started attending preschool at a Montessori School in Seoul.  He absolutely loves it.  Although he initially had a bit of difficulty interacting with some children, because he likes to play a bit rough (he loves to "rough house"), he settled down and now is playing well with the other children.  His two teachers use the Montessori Method developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900’s to help him learn, a method to which he has adapted well.  Originally developed to assist special needs children in Rome, the Montessori Method empowers children to learn at their own pace, teaching them personal responsibility, sensitivity to others, and progressively challenging curricula.  Teachers act more as guides than instructors, helping children on a more of an ad hoc basis than does traditional education.  While Montessori schoolchildren range in age from preschool to high school, the program is especially effective with younger children like my son.  My son was already well on his way to knowing his numbers and alphabet, and he can spell some basic words, including his name.  However, since he began attending a Montessori school, he has already learned to spell some complicated English words, including the long form of his first name.  The teachers have also channeled and honed his artistic skills, helping him learn how to paint and draw with improved technique.  He’s well on his way to making beautiful art.
 
I think that Montessori schools are an excellent educational option for preschool-aged children.  I also believe it’s a good program for older children, although I don’t have firsthand experience with Montessori’s youth programs.  Montessori schools can be expensive, which is a primary reason why most children do not attend these schools.  However, if you have the money and the opportunity to enroll your child in a Montessori school, I highly recommend investigating this option.  We plan to continue our son’s Montessori education when we’re back in the United States.  Unfortunately, our next destination, Paraguay, does not have an English-language Montessori School.  We’ll make do with what we can find in Asuncion.

A Rave about Korean Batteries

Dear Reader, I made it home from my father’s funeral late Monday night.  I was supposed to go back to work today, but I fell ill while traveling home and am home sick today.  It’s a severe cold.  I have a headache, sore throat, and I’ve been coughing a lot.  I hope I feel well enough to go back to work tomorrow.  I was fine when I left America, but I started getting sick on the trans-Pacific flight to Japan, where I caught a connecting flight to Korea.  I went to the store to buy some cold medicine and some new vitamins.  After getting sick while on my way to a funeral, I decided that I need to take better care of myself. 
 
As you may have heard, Dell Computer is recalling faulty Sony laptop batteries.  I checked to see if the Dell laptop I recently purchased uses one of the faulty batteries.  Although my model was one of the ones with faulty batteries, I had upgraded to a longer-life eight-cell Cadmium battery.  As a result, I don’t need to replace it.  What a relief!  Like many others, we’ve had difficulties with Dell customer service, and I wasn’t looking forward to relying on Dell to replace the battery.  I try to use Dell as little as possible now.  I thought it interesting that the faulty Sony batteries are made in Japan, a place typical known for the highest quality.  Where was my battery made?  Korea.  That’s right–Korean-made Dell laptop batteries are safer than Japanese-made laptop batteries.  That’s a little fact that I’m sure will make the Koreans happy.  Thanks, Korea!  When I upgrade our old television to a new one, I’ll definitely have to think about buying Korean.