A DUAL

             

On the red carpet! Wearing: dress by
French Connection, shoes by Camper,
and the "Urchin" ring

Apparently my blog title has become rather literal this past week. As I am teaching each day and then rushing off to fashion shows each night, I have formed a sort of double life. In one I am organizing the white board with subjects of the day; in the other, I am organizing notes on outfits of the night. In one I am smiling at young faces eager to learn; in the other, I am smiling because I am eager to learn.  Although both existences seem polar opposites, the life lessons I am experiencing are of similar natures. No matter which part I play, I am being challenged to create a name for myself, and networking with the people one meets is crucial. I was a bit intimidated by the fashion shows at first, mainly the people who work there (producers, models, designers, photographers); I thought they would be too busy, too important, too unlike-me to approach. But as Vancouver Fashion Week comes to an end tomorrow, I am realizing that my experience would not have been as amazing as it has been without the people I have met. From producers to interviewers, models to designers, photographers to writers, bloggers to fashionistas, I can honestly say that I have met some incredibly gentile and sociable people. I will go further to say that although the fashion shows were everything I dreamed of and more, they would not have been nearly as wonderful had these people not been there.

Another surprising thing about this whole fashion business I have found: it makes me realize how much I really do love teaching. Fashion shows are fabulous, sincerely, and there are probably a few photographs unbeknownst to me with my jaw hanging open in awe at some of the designs I saw, drooling with adoration. Nonetheless, when I get to my classroom each morning, I am anxious with anticipation for my students to arrive. This is going to sound extremely nerdy, but the nights I spend at home coming up with neat science experiments, or the weekend day I spend at the library researching art books for our next project... those are glory times for me. They are times when I put all my effort into making something relatable to someone just learning. Ever heard of a teacher’s high? It is that feeling you get when you know your student has just understood something you have explained. You see their eyes light up with realization and you are so excited for them. It is a feeling I strive for every day I am with my students, and although fashion and clothes and runways get me giddy, I don’t think I’ll quit my day job just yet.  

I am still fantasizing of one day becoming a designer as well, perhaps showing my stuff at VFW... but boy has this week been exhausting. An extra hour of sleep could not have come at a better time (thanks to daylight savings), and I will gladly sleep in just a bit longer than usual.