Odds and Ends Thursday 58

On Sunday my pule called me into his office—yeah, I said this happened on Sunday—in order to re-print the prefects’ ID badges to specify the 2010 school year. It was then he explained to me the principals from all the schools in the country, public and private, decided that all secondary students should have a ID card. So the 45 badges I had to make for the prefects, those were only a preview of the onslaught that’s about to come. Here are some other odds and ends from the week:

• The cat was lounging on the bathroom floor this afternoon when I went to take a shower. Eventually she got curious about what was going on behind the curtain. I can’t help but take pleasure in moments like this. She felt the stream of cold water and bolted out of there as though it was raining battery acid. Hilarious.
  
• The top student in year 12 is one of the girls who skipped year 11 earlier this year. Her name: Monshana. Every time I hear her name now, I hear Cat Stevens in the back of my mind. “I am being followed by a Monshana. Monshana, Monshana!”
  
• Play count for “Semi-Charmed Life”: 23.
  
• Already there are problems with this badge thing. One of the prefects came back complaining about his photo. Admittedly, it is a terrible picture, but if I redo his then where does this stop? I posted the two girls at the top of a post last week because I thought both of those photos were relatively good. And then one of those girls complained about her picture! So I’m tempted to tell the kid with the bad photo to deal with it.
  
• Blog Reader Kit sent this link. Apparently a rush hour on a Samoan bus makes the list of the top 101 places to never experience before you die. Yeah. I concur.
  
• Tomorrow is the interchurch athletics meet, and I’m assigned to be assistant recorder in charge of the senior level. We had the meeting yesterday at another school, Nuuausala. It was an exciting visit if only because it was the last of the Congregationalist schools I hadn’t visited. Now that I’ve seen them all, I’m even happier to be right where I am.
  
• I think season 3 of The Wire is underrated. People talk about how it’s just season 1 re-hashed, but I disagree. The fall of the Barksdale empire, the simultaneous rise of Carcetti and Marlow, and Bunny Colvin’s last stand. I feel like if season 4 scores the goal, it’s only because of season 3’s assist.
  
• Also, when I stop and remember that everyone on the show is an actor, my mind can’t do it. I can accept one or two of them might be faking it, but you mean to tell me Kima and Poot and Levy aren’t actually involved in the Baltimore drug trade? Get out of town.
  
• I missed last Friday’s Peace Corps soccer game to go to The Village. I’m hoping to miss tomorrow’s in order to attend a cocktail party the American embassy is throwing (to which all PCVs are invited, so not like I’m shirking responsibility or anything). It will all depend on how many people want to play tomorrow. I’m guessing there will be many.
  
• Finally, Blakey’s brother Peter dropped off a gift from Blakey’s grandmother this afternoon. Along with a nice letter, she sent me three harmonicas in order to help my English class sing more in tune. So exciting! Thanks so much, Barbara!

That’s all I got for this week. I hope you’re well. Pictures below.

I'm not sure how this picture of Akanese drinking a huge bottle of Coke with two hands slipped through the cracks and didn't get posted last Saturday.

Fialupe insisted I take a picture of her name tag from her job at the Sinalei Resort on the south side of the island.

Here's a boring way to waste 20 minutes. I wanted to see how many games of beginner Minesweeper I could win. I made it to 48.

Here is my gift to you on a Friday morning. Smiling baby!