Jumanji

"After all, we all have our frames, our boundaries of perception, into which we only allow certain notions of truth that resonate with our levels of education, spiritual understanding, experience. And the true art lies in respecting the frames of others, plying those borders with words of polite wisdom, all while still able to enjoy the same wine."
-Mark Morford

I know my fanaticism with Mark Morford is a bit ridiculous. But, I haven't come across another columnist who captures my interest so consistently and profoundly.

In other news...

I am really getting into books on tape. I've never been a big fan, but lately I am quite enthusiastic about them. I've been searching all the torrent sites to find new downloads for my ipod. I didn't think it was possible, but I like them even better than music while power walking. It gives me something new to look forward to instead of the same old emo/hip hop hits that plague my workout playlist.

Speaking of power walking, I have a power walking partner! Lately I have been power walking to the local mall to get a healthy, low-cal, fruit smoothie for breakfast. After all, what could possibly be a better workout motivation than food? Oh, the irony! And my co-worker, Grace, asked if I want to power walk with her in the morning. So, now we meet every Mon, Wed and Fri and walk to Gangnam for our healthy smoothies. It is about a hour and 20 minutes round trip and on Fridays we add an extra hour by hiking a small hill/park near our house. And the best part is that Grace isn't a flake. We set walking dates and we stick to them! And since we missed yesterday because of rain, Grace called to see if I wanted to get up early today to make up for yesterday! So, at 6:45am I pulled myself out of bed and power walked! I can feel all the walking in my very tired legs, but it's the good kind of pain.

Speaking of rain, monsoon season is fast approaching. I have to admit that I would not have known the definition of the word "monsoon" if not for childhood classic movie, Jumanji (Every month at the quarter moon, there will be a monsoon in your lagoon). Yesterday I got my first taste of the season. I woke to pouring rain and dressed for the awful weather. Long sleeved shirt and pants. A sweatshirt. A hat. Thick socks. Tennis Shoes. I stepped outside and I was BOILING! It was sticky and hot and RAINING?!? How could this be? Rain = cold weather! But, I was very wrong. I put on a sundress, flip flops and grabbed an umbrella. My second outfit was much more appropriate and far more comfortable when the clouds cleared a few hours later and the sun beat down.

I have now officially witnessed the childhood cliche of children eating paste. Classic.

Today in class I faced a bit of an obstacle. I was teaching third graders and the debate topic was based on the book we have been reading, "The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever." The topic was "Christmas should be abolished." This seems like a relatively mundane topic, but Christmas involves things like Jesus and Santa. Both are a bit tricky with a bunch of third graders. I ended up accepting the premise that Santa does exist and I carefully avoided the Jesus topics. It wasn't my finest debate hour, accepting the existence of a mythical creature and avoiding the discussion of potentially another mythical creature. But, I can only do my best and remember that perfection isn't a reasonable goal.

As I write this one of my kids is getting distracted from his essay writing. He is eating his eraser. He actually has crumbs of eraser on his face. Maybe I should inquire if he'd be interested in any lead paint chips as an appetizer.

There comes a point when it is acceptable to eat American fast food in a foreign country. When you first arrive in a foreign country it seems like an abomination to eat at an American establishment after having traveled so far. After a few months you openly enjoy American food, but still consider it a sign of weakness and aren't proud of your laziness. However, there comes a point when the tables turn and American food becomes foreign. It is refuge from your typical meals. And at that point, eating American food no longer makes you feel guilty. (Well, at least not for reasons other than the calorie count.) I am finally a guilt-free American food eater.

I coughed today and felt a slight sting in my throat. Please please please do not let the yellow sand come back and rip apart my esophagus. Please. Please. Please.

Every now and then I see a grown-up who looks very similar to one of my students. That person always catches my attention. I want to examine their clothes and any other visible clues that might tell about their life. It's like I'm trying to figure out how my students will grow up. Of course, my reaction is completely illogical. But, the question of "Who will these students become?" is constantly in the back of my mind and my brain seems to be looking for an answer.

And finally, a quick story from before I left for Korea. I was in the doctor's office getting my blood pressure taken three days before I would leave. The nurse was hooking up the strap to my arm and we were chatting about my trip. I couldn't stop talking about my plans. She took my pressure as I continued to rave. The nurse's jaw dropped, my blood pressure was through the roof! She couldn't believe it! She told me to stop talking about Korea and she would take my pressure again. I sat quietly and the second time my blood pressure was normal. In other words, my heart pounded and blood literally rushed through my veins when I spoke about Korea... Even then I knew it was a good sign!