Thursday, February 25, 2010

Odds and Ends Thursday 44

They say the second year of the Peace Corps goes by in a flash, and I guess it’s because it’s made of weeks like this past one. I wouldn’t say I’m at the top of my Peace Corps game, but I guess I’ve adapted to the point things can work like clockwork without too much effort on my part. Classes seem to take care of themselves, I’m on track to come in on budget for February, and I went running twice this week. It wasn’t a particularly great week, but it flew by just the same. Here are some other odds and ends:
  • Only volunteers who didn’t live in Apia are foolish enough to think Apia’s water is reliable, or that life here is the bee’s knees. We may have shiny grocery stores and shorter bus rides, but life in town has its own set of problems. In fact, Briony and Blakey, volunteers with one of the worst water situations in the country, live in Apia. So back off, Anonymous.
  • While in Sydney I bought a small box of Lipton Green Tea with Jasmine. I finally opened it this week, and the taste reminds me of the smell of taking a bath at my grandma’s house when I was little. Isn’t it strange how smells and tastes can be so specific?
  • My sister sent me the entire Ally McBeal series on DVD, and I just finished the first season. I still think Calista Flockhart is a doll—albeit a skinny one—but until now I never realized how her roommate on the show Renee, played by Lisa Nicole Carson, is way hot.
  • My Year 10s are starting to get a good handle on “Early in the Morning.” We’re going to have the singing test next week, and then it will be time for a new song. Any suggestions? I was thinking Herman’s Hermits’ “Henry VIII”. I’d have to teach them to pronounce it “En-er-y,” which might be confusing.
  • We sang Maná’s “Como Te Deseo” in Señor Martín’s class, and he’d make us sing the “Oh yeah!” that the singer occasionally yells in the background. I was trying to think of English songs where I could have my kids yell things. Maybe the “Good times! Good times! Good times!” in “Sweet Caroline”? Or the “Keep it up! Keep it up!” in Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecelia”? Actually, the verse in “Cecelia” probably isn’t appropriate.
  • One thing I’m trying to improve on from last year is turning in my lesson book. I kind of ignored the practice last year. This past Monday, my pule listed the names of all the teachers who didn’t turn in their lesson book for approval, but I had. I’m awesome.
  • The new fun thing for my staff is to call me out and make me say Grace over the tea at Interval. Prayer duty rotates around the staff room, and it’s clearly a duty people hold in high regard, so I’m honored when they ask me to do it. But I’ve been called out a little too frequently the last couple weeks, and I can usually count on a couple giggles in the room when I’m done. I’m starting to feel like a form of cheap entertainment.
  • I used the paper cutter in the Peace Corps office to cut my flashcards into smaller flashcards so I can study lots and lots of vocabulary words for the GRE. But I haven’t worked up the effort to actually write anything on the flashcards. I haven’t started to study yet.
  • Phil accidentally brought a bottle of soy sauce to my house last time he visited. But we cooked up some taro and tried it as a topping. As it turns out, taro is delicious with a little soy sauce.
  • Between rugby practice and occasional jogging, I’m a little worried about wearing too many clothes and having the laundry pile up, or wearing the same clothes and smelling awful. The turnaround necessary is a little too quick to rely on laundry drying in the sun.
That’s all I got for this week. I hope you’re well. Pictures and slides from my Year 13s’ Presenting the World project.


Tafale presenting Japan.


The title slide from Maria's presentation, "Easy as Argentina".


Lise presents Jamaican culture.


The culture slide from Amanda's presentation on India.


Luanna presents Israel.


A slide from Chrispune's presentation about Thailand.


Ruta presenting Egypt's location and climate.


The concluding slide in Pene's presentation about South Africa. Hilarious.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

"so good, so good, so good"

As a part time red sox fan, this is suddenly very important. :)