Almost Under Control! (Now with More Cheese Flavor!)

Who is this?


Watch out, Mr. Obama!


Your honesty is appreciated.


WTF?

The Gender Gap, Other Stuff

I forgot to tell this story in the video:
While proctoring one of the exams I told the kids I would give them a freebie. Several looked up and I said, "the answer to number 13 is 'tarantula.'" I love watching realization dawn. The first beams of light start with the smartest students then slowly the rest of the class stops looking to see what question number 13 is and figure out why others are laughing.

Total Lack of Awesome

Peanut Butter and Stress

I remain fascinated with craigslist. I don't check it as often as I once did because there are so few updates in Seoul. I feel that, in the absence of more exciting news, it is time to update you on the state of cl in Seoul. Because I am filled with love and all about helping I am including some ads with either helpful hints or subtext translations.

SWM seeks SAF to lock in basement.

Baby daddy. He might be married! He might just be sexually irresponsible! Solve the sexy mystery by sending your picture!

"but i tell my family that i cannot get with a girl that doesn't speak english as well as me." i knows exaktly how u feal.

Pretty much perfect women use craigslist.

I Had a Dennis!

I sent Dennis on his way to Japan just a while before. Naturally I insisted that he be a guest on my blog. Sadly, I lost the text he wrote because we were up 'til 4am watching Kevin Smith youtube clips and experimenting with food and drink. His visit was most pleasing and I wish him the best of everything on his exciting tour of Asia.





Of course I must thank Team Pirate for more fabulous generosity! :)

For the record...

I'm listening to The Bad Touch right now and I am wholly incapable of thinking of anything except boxing...

Pairings

What, you ask, goes well with a 2006 Shiraz? A huge pile of work to be graded. It's Friday night an I am working my way through a whole bag of papers, worksheets, and journals that need to be graded. I have to take care of a lot in preparation for next week both because I will have guests and because one of the coordinators is leaving for America unexpectedly, adding at least one more class to my schedule.

A few things to share...

A month or two ago one of my students tried to scoot out of class before I arrived. I saw him leaving, slipped to the side of the door then jumped in front of him and yelled, "boo!", causing him to jump almost out of his skin. It was very satisfying. Ever since then he and one other boy have been trying to catch me off guard and do the same. I really enjoy it. Just as I was thinking that they might have given up they tried again on Wednesday.

Today, one of my tween/teen students was fiddling with some cord attached to his pants instead of paying attention to class. I stepped in front of him and said, "...the answer is not in your pants." I looked up to see one of my more active but undisciplined students leaning over with his head in his neighbor's lap and informed him that the answer was not in his neighbor's pants, either.

This morning I apparently left a part of my knuckle in the recycling outside. I narrowly missed spilling blood on some of the papers I was grading. It will be a good cover story if they find any wine stains on their homework...No, wait, that's Kahlua.

Thailand Musings

A combination of adjusting to returning and the anticipation of guests has left me in a strange, disconnected state. I'm getting what I need to do done but not all that I want to do. I am transcribing some of the notes I took (errors included!) while in Thailand.


Oh God! No seatbelts in the taxi!

...

I find it fascinating that in a nation that is 95% Buddhist there were Xmas lights everywhere including trees, all blinking at a seizure-inducing rate.

...

I really wish I had a seatbelt.
When you exit to the transport area of the airport people come at you saying "taxi"...There were tons of foreigners, many dressed in ways that made me embarassed for Western Civilization. I hate to say it but I could smell it when the French tourists got in our line. There was a guy w/ a gold chain, muscle shirt, and mullet who looked like he fell out of the '80's rather than the EU.

...

As we flew over Thailand, before getting close to the airport I could see lots of lights. As always cities at night are beautiful. I feel as though I can reach down and pick up the sparkles. There were areas where single clumps of light were spread out. It made me think of lonely spirits roaming.

...

I had my first moment of aggravation at Thailand today. I was walking down a long thoroughfare and some (presumably) Thais began following me. I have been practicing ignoring most solicitation but in this case bags of dried corn were thrust into my arms. Curiously, moments before I had thought, "what jackass is feeding all these pigeons" only to discover it was jackasses like me. One person opened the bags of corn and instructed me to empty them for the pigeons. After this I stepped away and was hemmed in by the guy and hi female associate, "you pay." I was aghast and after a few exchanges I gave them the change in my pocket and said that was all I had. The guy pointed at my pocket w/ wallet in it and indicated more. I said there was no money, only "ID so I don't get in trouble" and after a few repetitions they left.

...

Here's my interpretation of the Thai coup from what little I've read and seen:

Thai Military: Do over!
Gov't: There's no do overs in government!
Thai Military: We've got guns!
Gov't: Fine! We'll do it over.

[I should add, belatedly, that after this I imagine one party or the other saying the Thai equivalent of "So...wanna go get a sammich?"]

Finally...Remember when I claimed I met Vizzini Wallace Shawn? Many moons later...

Thank You!

Back

I'm still recovering as I had an overnight flight on Saturday night and did not really get any sleep. It will be my first day back at work. Urg. Will update about Thailand when I'm recharged.