God, I loved it so.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The previous post was one found in the DRAFTS folder and -- while lacking in flowing prose -- provided a light chuckle and fond (?) trip down the lane. Was it so long ago? Back in New York for quite a few years now I still feel like Maki was yesterday; its frightfully unforgiving winter chills matched in ferocity only by mercilessly oven-like summers...
God, I loved it so.
God, I loved it so.
You might be in Maki if...
Sit back, nuzzle your favorite blanket, and sip that cocoa... It's time for another episode of:
'Oh my God, I'm inside and I can see my own breath!'
Mr. Foxworthy strides up to the microphone, clears his throat, and delivers the following rendition to his side-splitting act that has charmed America for years.
The audience leans in, anticipating his legendary harp-like delivery:
"If room temperature provides a nice frosty beer, you might be living in Maki..."
"If the penguins you invited to dinner leave because of the 'chill in the air...,' you might be living in Maki..."
"If the electric company starts sending you weekly 'Thank You' letters and pictures of their new company cars, you might be living in Maki...
Ok...I appreciate his artistry -- those things ain't easy to write. But the energy with which he composes these gems is completely identifiable by the common person. For all intents and purposes, I will play that common (male version) role for this post. All apologies for any typos in this one, by the way; my fingertip-less gloves have yet to arrive in the mail (Debbie Downer music plays in background -- that one was for the folks on Asher...who loves ya...).
What serves as normal mad-cap, high adventure material for this web journal pales in comparison to the feat of locating a consistent source of heat these days (without spending your entire paycheck, of course). Hours on top of hours sitting in front of - or next to - a comically small heating device does little to encourage the spirits of the 'chilled.' It is at times like these that one must remember the faithful...
I must take this moment, publically, to apologize to 'Rice Cooker,' my faithful steed that gets me from here to there on a daily basis. I may have taken liberties with the 'acutal size' jokes in previous posts, but my little Subaru has turned out to be a majestic champion of warmth; especially during the early morning crawls from my 'Fortress of Ice-a-tude' to Maki's various institutions of learning.
As I readied for a Sunday morning escape, I noticed that the daily clouds and rain which had recently become as reliable as the rising sun in which they block looked different; in fact, they looked like...snow.
"The first snow!! Ain't it purty?"
'Oh my God, I'm inside and I can see my own breath!'
Mr. Foxworthy strides up to the microphone, clears his throat, and delivers the following rendition to his side-splitting act that has charmed America for years.
The audience leans in, anticipating his legendary harp-like delivery:
"If room temperature provides a nice frosty beer, you might be living in Maki..."
"If the penguins you invited to dinner leave because of the 'chill in the air...,' you might be living in Maki..."
"If the electric company starts sending you weekly 'Thank You' letters and pictures of their new company cars, you might be living in Maki...
Ok...I appreciate his artistry -- those things ain't easy to write. But the energy with which he composes these gems is completely identifiable by the common person. For all intents and purposes, I will play that common (male version) role for this post. All apologies for any typos in this one, by the way; my fingertip-less gloves have yet to arrive in the mail (Debbie Downer music plays in background -- that one was for the folks on Asher...who loves ya...).
What serves as normal mad-cap, high adventure material for this web journal pales in comparison to the feat of locating a consistent source of heat these days (without spending your entire paycheck, of course). Hours on top of hours sitting in front of - or next to - a comically small heating device does little to encourage the spirits of the 'chilled.' It is at times like these that one must remember the faithful...
I must take this moment, publically, to apologize to 'Rice Cooker,' my faithful steed that gets me from here to there on a daily basis. I may have taken liberties with the 'acutal size' jokes in previous posts, but my little Subaru has turned out to be a majestic champion of warmth; especially during the early morning crawls from my 'Fortress of Ice-a-tude' to Maki's various institutions of learning.
As I readied for a Sunday morning escape, I noticed that the daily clouds and rain which had recently become as reliable as the rising sun in which they block looked different; in fact, they looked like...snow.
"The first snow!! Ain't it purty?"
Friday, April 08, 2011
Sorting it all out?
After (checks watch) 4 years of neglect, I felt it necessary to post a few words in response to what has been the worst disaster to hit the Japanese shores since the final days of World War II. While none of my friends or wife's family were near the more devastated areas, they are all feeling the emotional stress of uncertainty. Leaking radiation... Random power outages... Food and fuel shortages along with the accompanying price hikes... The fear of another mercilessly hot summer was heightened as the government announced that air conditioners would only be used in certain areas throughout the country. Noting that Japan's population numbers lean greatly toward the elderly suggests the death toll from March's earthquake and Tsunami may be increased by late September.
Friday, March 16, 2007
It was fun at the Sho...
Hi everyone -
Today was my final elementary school visit and I was able to snag a few pictures from the teacher.
The kids I am working with in these pictures will be entering Maki Higashi Junior High School in April and were primed and ready for my 'Elvis-ly' driven exercises for the afternoon... It's amazing how much you can impress a bunch of 13 year olds with two chords. I'm halfway to The Ramones' status in these parts.
I battled with titling this post, 'Chunky Cold Medina,' given the seemingly less than svelte frame I'm sporting. But in truth, I was wearing 4 layers under the day's turtle neck/cargo pants getup...it was slightly chilly today.
In keeping with the theme of my most recent post, the kids I've met -- from both the junior high schools and elementary classes -- have all viewed graduation as be being bittersweet.
The 6 (roku) nenseis (nen-say-zzz) treated me to a rehearsal of their graduation song which will be performed during the ceremony next week. Much like the graduating class from both junior high schools, the kids at Urushiyama (today's stop) showed strong emotion in wishing that all those who listened would not forget them...
THAT would be quite difficult.
Keep surfing,
Brendan
Today was my final elementary school visit and I was able to snag a few pictures from the teacher.
The kids I am working with in these pictures will be entering Maki Higashi Junior High School in April and were primed and ready for my 'Elvis-ly' driven exercises for the afternoon... It's amazing how much you can impress a bunch of 13 year olds with two chords. I'm halfway to The Ramones' status in these parts.
I battled with titling this post, 'Chunky Cold Medina,' given the seemingly less than svelte frame I'm sporting. But in truth, I was wearing 4 layers under the day's turtle neck/cargo pants getup...it was slightly chilly today.
In keeping with the theme of my most recent post, the kids I've met -- from both the junior high schools and elementary classes -- have all viewed graduation as be being bittersweet.
The 6 (roku) nenseis (nen-say-zzz) treated me to a rehearsal of their graduation song which will be performed during the ceremony next week. Much like the graduating class from both junior high schools, the kids at Urushiyama (today's stop) showed strong emotion in wishing that all those who listened would not forget them...
THAT would be quite difficult.
Keep surfing,
Brendan
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Remember me...please.
Graduation Day has come and gone here in Maki, bringing with it several tears and leaving everyone with heavy hearts. I was asked to attend the ceremony at Maki Nishi (my base school) and was unfortunately unable to say goodbye to many of the students at Maki Higashi.
While I certainly remember the emotions that were brought up during high school graduation in New York, I can't recall anything worth a thought at the end of junior high school. But in a country where life is experienced in groups, any occasion which causes a group to be splintered is often quite solemn and always memorable. The fact that after all their time together, many students will go on to different high schools across the Prefecture, makes the idea of graduating all the more emotional.
For three years the 3 nenseis at both junior high schools spent countless hours together in class, on sports teams, and in after school clubs (meeting on weekends as well). They grew up under the rigid Japanese educational system and succeeded by working together. Whether through seemingly endless sessions of cheering during sports day or relying on three or four cohorts in helping to answer 'how are you?' in English class, they are rarely alone and thrive in numbers. That teamwork is what got them up there on stage, accepting a diploma from a beaming principal while being surrounded by hundreds of admirers.
As sempais (senior students), they served as role models for the two grades below. Of course, this is the case in most schools around the world, but in Japan, these kids were considered to be gold.
I was not a frequent witness to interactions between students from different grades but when it was visible, it was obvious that the kohais (junior students) were completely enamored with the 3 nenseis. All the respect...all the love that they had for the graduating class came out after the ceremony in a very emotional farewell under snowy skies.
Traditionally, teachers and students stand outside to say goodbye to the graduates as they leave school grounds for the last time. The 3 nenseis take their time cleaning out shoe cubbies, their class rooms, and scouring the walls for mementos. When all are ready, they walk out of the genkan (entrance/exit) and into a mob of admirers who jockey for position, hoping to score a keepsake from their heroes.
Three boys from the baseball team were the first to leave.
They strolled out amidst camera flashes and wishes of good luck. As they approached a group of 2 nenseis, one boy was being shoved to the front. He looked like he was going to break down and cry before the captain -- whom he would be replacing -- put his arm around the kid's shoulder. They took a few steps away from the crowd and words were exchanged briefly. After a few energetic nods, the kohai smiled and led his hero back to the group. A big smile was on his face because he had received a very important button from the captain's uniform; the one which had been next to his heart.
It seemed like a million of these types of interactions were happening around me; there was energetic laughter and heavy sobbing in any direction I turned. I was fortunate to seek out and find a few students including this fellow -- all 185 CM of him. How nice is this kid? He even bent his knees for the picture.
After an hour or so, the chilly weather began to thin the crowds and the 3 nenseis waved their final goodbyes and left the grounds. A large space where their lunch tables used to be will be left unfilled until the beginning of the new school year in April -- the symbolism and its overall effect on the school brought about many new tears.
Today at Maki Higashi, I was able to see how the school picked itself up and began to move on after saying goodbye to its own kids. My class load was very light, but I didn't take advantage of free time until the cleaning period when students sweep the halls and classrooms for 20 minutes. I took a quick stroll while the teacher's room was being swept. It was just long enough to soak in the emotion which had been weighing heavily on everyone’s shoulders; it was now beginning to take its toll on me.
Familiar faces greeted me as I passed, but as much as I cared for them as my students, they were not the ones I wanted to see. The stairwells, hallways, and classrooms were being tended to by different hands; new kids were flying down the halls pushing damp rags to clean the floors.
I didn’t bother stopping by the stairwell that leads up to the 3 nensei class rooms… Chie and Miho wouldn’t be there to greet me with big smiles and warm hellos. Aya wouldn’t be strolling by, begging my forgiveness for the delay in her latest letter. Fumika wouldn’t be waiting for me to help her practice for the upcoming speech competition. Rie wouldn’t be beaming as she asked well-practiced questions in English.
Back to my desk and memories.
Out of all of this, the one thing I can write with confidence is that all these kids did a wonderful job in creating a group; a very memorable one. Although it might seem to be a daunting task now, there is another group out there for each of them, waiting to be born.
Keep surfing,
Brendan
While I certainly remember the emotions that were brought up during high school graduation in New York, I can't recall anything worth a thought at the end of junior high school. But in a country where life is experienced in groups, any occasion which causes a group to be splintered is often quite solemn and always memorable. The fact that after all their time together, many students will go on to different high schools across the Prefecture, makes the idea of graduating all the more emotional.
For three years the 3 nenseis at both junior high schools spent countless hours together in class, on sports teams, and in after school clubs (meeting on weekends as well). They grew up under the rigid Japanese educational system and succeeded by working together. Whether through seemingly endless sessions of cheering during sports day or relying on three or four cohorts in helping to answer 'how are you?' in English class, they are rarely alone and thrive in numbers. That teamwork is what got them up there on stage, accepting a diploma from a beaming principal while being surrounded by hundreds of admirers.
As sempais (senior students), they served as role models for the two grades below. Of course, this is the case in most schools around the world, but in Japan, these kids were considered to be gold.
I was not a frequent witness to interactions between students from different grades but when it was visible, it was obvious that the kohais (junior students) were completely enamored with the 3 nenseis. All the respect...all the love that they had for the graduating class came out after the ceremony in a very emotional farewell under snowy skies.
Traditionally, teachers and students stand outside to say goodbye to the graduates as they leave school grounds for the last time. The 3 nenseis take their time cleaning out shoe cubbies, their class rooms, and scouring the walls for mementos. When all are ready, they walk out of the genkan (entrance/exit) and into a mob of admirers who jockey for position, hoping to score a keepsake from their heroes.
Three boys from the baseball team were the first to leave.
They strolled out amidst camera flashes and wishes of good luck. As they approached a group of 2 nenseis, one boy was being shoved to the front. He looked like he was going to break down and cry before the captain -- whom he would be replacing -- put his arm around the kid's shoulder. They took a few steps away from the crowd and words were exchanged briefly. After a few energetic nods, the kohai smiled and led his hero back to the group. A big smile was on his face because he had received a very important button from the captain's uniform; the one which had been next to his heart. It seemed like a million of these types of interactions were happening around me; there was energetic laughter and heavy sobbing in any direction I turned. I was fortunate to seek out and find a few students including this fellow -- all 185 CM of him. How nice is this kid? He even bent his knees for the picture.
After an hour or so, the chilly weather began to thin the crowds and the 3 nenseis waved their final goodbyes and left the grounds. A large space where their lunch tables used to be will be left unfilled until the beginning of the new school year in April -- the symbolism and its overall effect on the school brought about many new tears.
Today at Maki Higashi, I was able to see how the school picked itself up and began to move on after saying goodbye to its own kids. My class load was very light, but I didn't take advantage of free time until the cleaning period when students sweep the halls and classrooms for 20 minutes. I took a quick stroll while the teacher's room was being swept. It was just long enough to soak in the emotion which had been weighing heavily on everyone’s shoulders; it was now beginning to take its toll on me.
Familiar faces greeted me as I passed, but as much as I cared for them as my students, they were not the ones I wanted to see. The stairwells, hallways, and classrooms were being tended to by different hands; new kids were flying down the halls pushing damp rags to clean the floors.
I didn’t bother stopping by the stairwell that leads up to the 3 nensei class rooms… Chie and Miho wouldn’t be there to greet me with big smiles and warm hellos. Aya wouldn’t be strolling by, begging my forgiveness for the delay in her latest letter. Fumika wouldn’t be waiting for me to help her practice for the upcoming speech competition. Rie wouldn’t be beaming as she asked well-practiced questions in English.
Back to my desk and memories.
Out of all of this, the one thing I can write with confidence is that all these kids did a wonderful job in creating a group; a very memorable one. Although it might seem to be a daunting task now, there is another group out there for each of them, waiting to be born.
Keep surfing,
Brendan
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Guess who I was last Sunday...
This was NOT in the contract...
Hey folks -
Last Sunday I was, indeed, Santa Claus for an afternoon. A private English tutoring company (with locations throughout Japan) was holding their annual Christmas party and listed me as a special guest. It is traditional for the local public schools to introduce their ALTs to the owners of these tutoring centers; much like the Junior High Schools, having an ALT in the classroom does a lot to beef up their lessons. So I met and had lunch with the owner of one of the tutoring centers in October. It was then that she asked me to attend the Christmas party. It was only recently that I learned I would do more than sip soda and sing 'Frosty the Snowman.'
(Please take a moment to look at the photo above once more for effect.)
(Thank you.)
The persona I adopted did not resemble my Uncles Bill, Bob, or Jack whose portrayal of St. Nicholas rivaled the real deal -- it was more in tune with Billy Bob Thornton's version.
After a few rounds of "Hey there, little fella! Merry Christmas!" and having not one, but all of the wonderful tykes attempt to remove my "beard," I was brought immediately to the checkers scene in 'Bad Santa.' Enough said...
But truthfully, it was a fun day; especially during 'Santa Says!' This was a marginally sadistic rendition of 'Simon Says' where Santa (that's me, if you recall) gets to spend about 25 minutes inside an extremely warm suit and beard trying to outwit 5 year olds. A real confidence booster, let me tell you.
After I dropped the 14th pound and finally got the last kid out, I looked over at the host, Y sensei -- my eyes projecting, "Mercy?" It's possible there was a slight miscommunication because for some reason I heard, "Let's play again!"
Mommmmmmmmm!!!!!
The amount of weight I lost was testimony to how smart those kids were...
But that was the worst of it (^-^)b
The actual party and activities were great. There were snowball fights (crumbled up paper) and sing-a-longs to name a couple. I was so impressed by how well the kids were speaking and the confidence they showed while introducing themselves. The teachers did a great job -- it's no wonder their classes are so popular.
My only moment of true panic was when I noted (in very small print, mind you) that Brendan sensei would be singing 'Last Christmas' for everyone! You all know this tune, right? George Michael's 1980s ditty? Well, as soon as I saw that, my voice started to go mysteriously out of tune during 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' ala Peter Brady. What was even stranger is that (as a life long musician) I was somehow unable to find the right key for the rest of the songs featured that afternoon. Y sensei, as eloquently as possible (and perhaps mercifully so) ended the party without forcing the audience to endure what would have undoubtedly been a 'memorable' experience.
Now Mr. Michael won't have to sue!
I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a safe and kickin' New Year!
Keep surfing!
Brendan
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Ode to the Heater
Dear little heater, won't you be my
True friend...
Please keep me from freezing until the
Night's end!
For Maki's winds are The Wolf
Who might blow this house down,
As I scour the closet for a warm
Sleeping gown.
A blustery November ushers in this new trend
Of icicles forming on noses' end.
For moments repose I squint my eyes
Wishing...
"It's best for this new cold to leave, yes!" that's what
I was thinking.
Old Jack Frost has headed east and brought with
Him tidings. No, not of 'joy' but of coughing and of
Sniffling.
"You've stayed long enough," though winter's months
Are still pending. They're lingering, hovering,
Cavorting, and planning...
So beneath this blanket I sit, against a chill
I can hardly fight.
Please little heater, won't you keep me warm
Through the Night?
Keep surfing (but wear a winter wetsuit)
Brendan
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
These are the Daze of Our Lives
Hi folks –
Just in case you were wondering about ways in which to make your day embarrassing, appear longer than it actually is, or just down right awful, here’s the first installment of:
Brendan’s Wacky Classroom Mishaps!
A Reader's Guide to Getting the Least Out of Your Day
(Author's note: While I can’t guarantee truly awful results, I will tell you that, by following each step to the end for this particular exercise, you’ll definitely develop a sense of woe that’ll carry well into the next morning. Fear not if you don’t plan on standing in front of a class full of 8th graders any time soon. It is my belief that the lessons to be learned in this post are universally friendly therefore adaptable to anyone's life! Let’s get started, shall we?)
Part one -
Screw Up Reading Comprehension Exercises
(So far in this episode, our hero has been given a task in which he is to create a reading comprehension worksheet based on an extremely short passage in the 8th grade reading textbook.)
First off, make sure to under-emphasize the importance of the assignment. I cannot stress enough the importance of not getting a head start – especially if you have an entire week to prepare; it just takes you away from the fun stuff, like browsing new SKYPE icons or checking out incomprehensible telecasts on NHK (which appeared to be devoted to fish…I thought. It could have been about blue jeans; like I said…it was pretty incomprehensible).
While this approach may seem a bit risky, professionally speaking, it is (in my experience) the best way to achieve a quality amount of embarrassment upon the day of reckoning. You can’t make an omelet without skinning a cat…yeah. Something like that.
Let’s assume that the students’ responsibility is to carefully review the content of the passage and be able to answer simple questions as provided by the teacher. As the teacher, preparing for such a task can be quite simple if you have all the necessary tools within reach.
Well, forget that!
Here’s my philosophy: It is very important that you not – I repeat: NOT, have a copy of the textbook at home. Who wants such a cake walk? Booooooorrrinnng! Leave it at work, I say! This is to insure that ‘thrill-factor’ rush when putting the worksheet together the morning of the class. Remember: Nurturing the burn of responsibility breeds feelings that might convince you to get off of the couch.
My recommendation is to not read the assigned passage in its entirety. Doing so will only cause confusion if you find that, upon completion of your worksheet at the 11th hour, what you have written conflicts with the content in the textbook. It’s better to assume that everything matches up nicely. It’ll be more like a surprise birthday party when you realize your wacky mistakes! Oh, there’s just so much to write!
Now that you've gotten everything down on paper, let's head to the copy room!
Make a master copy of your worksheet, then (prior to making SEVERAL copies for your classes and to tease yourself) contemplate seeking approval from the teacher with whom you will be working in class. Don’t devote too much time to this, though; it’s just a mood-setter. There’ll be plenty of time for consultations AFTER you finish making copies. Do ya see where I'm going with this?!
I recommend about 70 to 80 copies of your document just to make the trees cry in protest a little bit louder when your mistakes are revealed.
*For those of you seeking an elevated sense of dread, I suggest the following copying options: Wait until there is an extensive line at the copier to achieve maximum giggles – it’s a hoot, I tell you, and well worth the sweats! Even more, choose the line for the copier that will run out of ink when it’s your turn! Ah, me…
OK – with 5 minutes to class time, you’ve waited long enough…
Show the finished product, along with the copies you were somehow able to make, to the teacher. For extreme satisfaction, when he or she questions you about the worksheet, throw in a few babbling sounds and gasps for air prior to offering lame excuses for your mistakes – remember: you worked really hard to not do this thing right. Milk the experience for what it’s worth!
Finally, EMBRACE THE IRONY! You just made a READING COMPREHENSION review sheet...with content mistakes! I believe this specific type of irony falls under the, “specially placed mood candle burning down your home,” variety. (Thanks to SM for inspiring that one...)
So what have we learned about messing with your day?
Feel free to jot down your own ideas -- I'd be happy to mull them over with you on the unemployment line.
Notes section:
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
In truth, I made a typo on an exercise for one of today’s classes…but what is life if you’re not able to dramatize trivial matters for the entertainment of others? At the very least you develop your skills of embellishment.
"NEVER TRUST SPELL-CHECK!" he cried from up on high.
And THAT’S today’s lesson.
Keep surfing!
Brendan
Just in case you were wondering about ways in which to make your day embarrassing, appear longer than it actually is, or just down right awful, here’s the first installment of:
Brendan’s Wacky Classroom Mishaps!
A Reader's Guide to Getting the Least Out of Your Day
(Author's note: While I can’t guarantee truly awful results, I will tell you that, by following each step to the end for this particular exercise, you’ll definitely develop a sense of woe that’ll carry well into the next morning. Fear not if you don’t plan on standing in front of a class full of 8th graders any time soon. It is my belief that the lessons to be learned in this post are universally friendly therefore adaptable to anyone's life! Let’s get started, shall we?)
Part one -
Screw Up Reading Comprehension Exercises
(So far in this episode, our hero has been given a task in which he is to create a reading comprehension worksheet based on an extremely short passage in the 8th grade reading textbook.)
First off, make sure to under-emphasize the importance of the assignment. I cannot stress enough the importance of not getting a head start – especially if you have an entire week to prepare; it just takes you away from the fun stuff, like browsing new SKYPE icons or checking out incomprehensible telecasts on NHK (which appeared to be devoted to fish…I thought. It could have been about blue jeans; like I said…it was pretty incomprehensible).
While this approach may seem a bit risky, professionally speaking, it is (in my experience) the best way to achieve a quality amount of embarrassment upon the day of reckoning. You can’t make an omelet without skinning a cat…yeah. Something like that.
Let’s assume that the students’ responsibility is to carefully review the content of the passage and be able to answer simple questions as provided by the teacher. As the teacher, preparing for such a task can be quite simple if you have all the necessary tools within reach.
Well, forget that!
Here’s my philosophy: It is very important that you not – I repeat: NOT, have a copy of the textbook at home. Who wants such a cake walk? Booooooorrrinnng! Leave it at work, I say! This is to insure that ‘thrill-factor’ rush when putting the worksheet together the morning of the class. Remember: Nurturing the burn of responsibility breeds feelings that might convince you to get off of the couch.
My recommendation is to not read the assigned passage in its entirety. Doing so will only cause confusion if you find that, upon completion of your worksheet at the 11th hour, what you have written conflicts with the content in the textbook. It’s better to assume that everything matches up nicely. It’ll be more like a surprise birthday party when you realize your wacky mistakes! Oh, there’s just so much to write!
Now that you've gotten everything down on paper, let's head to the copy room!
Make a master copy of your worksheet, then (prior to making SEVERAL copies for your classes and to tease yourself) contemplate seeking approval from the teacher with whom you will be working in class. Don’t devote too much time to this, though; it’s just a mood-setter. There’ll be plenty of time for consultations AFTER you finish making copies. Do ya see where I'm going with this?!
I recommend about 70 to 80 copies of your document just to make the trees cry in protest a little bit louder when your mistakes are revealed.
*For those of you seeking an elevated sense of dread, I suggest the following copying options: Wait until there is an extensive line at the copier to achieve maximum giggles – it’s a hoot, I tell you, and well worth the sweats! Even more, choose the line for the copier that will run out of ink when it’s your turn! Ah, me…
OK – with 5 minutes to class time, you’ve waited long enough…
Show the finished product, along with the copies you were somehow able to make, to the teacher. For extreme satisfaction, when he or she questions you about the worksheet, throw in a few babbling sounds and gasps for air prior to offering lame excuses for your mistakes – remember: you worked really hard to not do this thing right. Milk the experience for what it’s worth!
Finally, EMBRACE THE IRONY! You just made a READING COMPREHENSION review sheet...with content mistakes! I believe this specific type of irony falls under the, “specially placed mood candle burning down your home,” variety. (Thanks to SM for inspiring that one...)
So what have we learned about messing with your day?
Feel free to jot down your own ideas -- I'd be happy to mull them over with you on the unemployment line.
Notes section:
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
In truth, I made a typo on an exercise for one of today’s classes…but what is life if you’re not able to dramatize trivial matters for the entertainment of others? At the very least you develop your skills of embellishment.
"NEVER TRUST SPELL-CHECK!" he cried from up on high.
And THAT’S today’s lesson.
Keep surfing!
Brendan
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