Donezorz

I don't really like mixed feelings.  I'd rather be swinging with volatility between emotions than have mixed ones.

The end of the year brings such feelings.  Thankfully (as I've already pointed out), I don't teach seniors so there's none of that sadness or hopefulness about them leaving.  Instead, here's a rundown of the past few days, hopefully explaining my mixed emotions.

After a long weekend of grading exams, I went off to Delhi on an 11-hour bus ride with students.  The students were great, but ANY period of sitting/laying awkwardly for 11 hours is tiring.  Upon arrival in Delhi, many of us got a few hours of sleep before heading to the airport.  I got a light schedule but I had to bring a group of students to the airport at 4:30 AM, and then at 8:00 AM before taking a break.  Bad emotions.

After my break, a few of us decided to haul our tired selves over to the US Embassy.  Within its walls is the American Club, a Shangri-La of beef, beer, and bowling for those who miss those things.  There's a pool too, but it didn't start with B.  Four of us sat around, eating gorgeous cow flesh until we were content.  A humorous note:  The hamburger at the club is called the "Illegal Alien."  Funny on so many levels.  They also had the Fox News morning show on in the lounge, and I realized I did NOT miss American news shows.  Good emotions.

Upon arrival back in Mussoorie after an early-morning train ride and trip up the hill, I was ready to relax, have a few days of simple meetings, and go for vacation.  I quickly realized that was not going to happen.  I had a letter delivered to my door that I won't get in to in-depth.  It informed me, if I may summarize, that one of my colleagues was dismissed, and, ahem, people were not happy.

Now here come the mixed emotions!  I kind of agree to a point with the dismissal.  I do think dismissing a teacher with kids right after graduation is wrong as they don't have time to say goodbye.  But... wait.  This is all a moot point.  My opinion doesn't matter.  I realize this and accept it.  I realize that I am tired, emotional, uninformed, and I have accepted my place lower on the ladder.  Other people disagree.  To them, their opinion does matter, they don't realize how tired, emotional or uninformed they are and don't realize their place is not to deal with hiring or firing.  

So, with this mix of people like me and people not like me, our all-staff meeting descended into crying, screaming, and impassioned speeches pretending that the speaker spoke for me.  Many people simply walked out.

So, my mixed emotions.  I love this school.  The kids are great, even when they're little turds.  The education is excellent and I am proud of my work.  I enjoy what I teach and my department is helpful and caring.  The view, although nature is still overrated, is great and I live in a clean, peaceful section of the world.  On the other hand, I hate politics.  I hate the politics of power-grabbing, emotional wrecks who think they know what's best.  I hate being told what to think and do.  I hate debate over if this is a Christian school (people are Christians, not organizations, and yes, a Christian school can fire somebody).

So, I have mixed emotions about being done for the year.  We didn't end on the best terms, and there may be some guerillas about next year in addition to the monkeys on the school campus.  But, is there ever a match for the joy a teacher (or student) feels when the school year is out? 

I'll be moving house and heading to Nepal over the next few weeks.  I'm not sure how much I'll be posting until I get back towards the end of July.  Don't expect daily updates or anything.

Peace.

Where to?

I know, I know.  I still have work to do.  I'm proctoring/invigilating (neither words I've used before) a few exams and I have 89 finals coming in on Thursday and Friday to grade before Monday before heading to Delhi with the kids on Tuesday and coming back in time for the banquet and final meetings next Friday and Saturday.  

...I'll keep in mind to watch my schedule next semester- if I make it there.

But, despite all the work ahead of me, I'm excited for a vacation.  I received a few more details about my trip to Nepal.  Everything is apparently set up for us except my train tickets that need to be purchased.

I'm still figuring out exactly what to do between June 20th and July 5th, though.  Some of that time will be taken up by moving and settling into my new house, of course.  I'm also looking into excursions to places not that far away.  There are so many, though and I just can't decide.  It would seem, however, that unless I go farther away than I want to, I will be stuck in the monsoon conditions.  I might just make a pilgrimmage to a place known for its apple cider...

I'll let y'all know.  If I don't write in the next two weeks, it means the exams have killed me.

Viva Nepal.

Today, as we do almost every Tuesday and Thursday, we started the day off with a high-school assembly.  After a devotion by the art teacher about the story of her getting married, a blurb about change in our lives, and announcing her pregnancy to the kids (go Guenthers!), one of the Nepali students got up on stage.  The Nepali students are possibly the most patriotic students we have at our school, with the Bhutanese right behind them.  Wait, you've never met a Nepali or Bhutanese person before?  What's that?  Where's Bhutan?  Never mind.  

The Nepali girl described how eight years ago today almost the entire Nepali royal family was killed by one of the princes.  It's an engaging true story, so if you haven't heard about it... hear about it.  The video that followed was a tribute to the royal family comprised of a bunch of pictures and videos set to a Nepali rock song.  What?  You don't know Nepali rock music?  Whysoever not?

Anyways, after it was over, the Nepali flag went up on the screen and the national anthem started.  Instantly, every Nepali student sprung to their feet.  I noticed a few other students do so as well.  I watched one of my colleagues, an Indian Christian woman who I knew would be doing what I should be doing.  As I saw her rise to her feet, so did I.  Within seconds, the entire student body was on its feet.  It wasn't about politics- most of our Nepali students are Royalists, in the minority in Nepal.  Most citizens of other countries just don't care.  It wasn't about national identity- students and staff from all over the world were standing.  It was just a moment of solidarity.  Standing with those young people whose country has been suffering and unstable for eight years.  I wouldn't normally stand for a national anthem from a country I've never been to.  I don't even stand for the American national anthem that often.  But, I stood, I realized, because I like my Nepali students and wanted to support them.  

This place, and especially the students, seem to be winning me over.

Senioritis

I've said a few times that if you want to get to know people and think they are decent human beings, meeting them the last semester of their senior year is not the way to do it.

I try my best to keep a good attitude about these guys, giving them the benefit of the doubt.  But this week was a little much.  Consider:

Tuesday was the senior skip day.  It was hastily organized and no teachers, advisors, or administrators were informed about it.  Basically a slap in the face.  One lone girl didn't go, which prompted all sorts of nasty comments about her by her "friends".  The principal went to where the students were and gave them the choice to come back with minor consequences or not come back with major consequences.  Half came back.  Some were indignant that they had their "right" to skip revoked.  Oh, the hubris.  I hate pride, unless it's me that is prideful.  Then I don't notice.

Okay, so the skip day was bad enough.  Maybe I just can't relate because I was really never a senior in high school.  Today, however, I was called into the principal's office (oooooooo!).  Apparently, some of the students claimed that I told them it was a mistake for them to come back.  Huh?  Me, who supported the administration a lot more than some other teachers did?  I said that?  The closest thing I can remember saying is a comment about how they think that if ALL the seniors skipped that they can't be punished.  I guess it's possible to misinterpret that...

My last episode just happened.  I've been working with a student to do an independent project for credit so they can graduate.  To make a long story short, that project has not yet appeared.  To top it all off, after hearing excuses about why it's not in my hand, I find this student with friends at char dukan, the closest thing to the Max these kids have (SBTB reference, YES!).  I was not pleased.

Oh, only four more teaching days and a little over a week of exams to go.  We all need a vacation at this point...

Who got the scoot?

I had never ridden a scooter. A part of that goes back to the blood oath my mom made me made about never getting a motorcycle. But, it's a scooter not a motorcycle and I only rode on it, not owning it. So good. As I zipped up to char dukan on the back of my Spanish student's (i have a student?) I noticed we were going about 15 kph. Still, SO much better than walking up that hill.
...
...
I want a scooter.

Very different questions

I had a lesson yesterday in my Intro to Christianity class about the differences between Catholics and Protestants.  Here are some questions I was asked:

"If a priest is giving last rites and the dying person chokes to death on the wafer, do they still go to Heaven?"

"So, let's say that a priest is hearing confession and someone confesses to murdering the priest's wife (I explained why this couldn't happen)-  Okay, his son then (I explained why this couldn't happen)- Okay, his sister.  Would he kick the guy's butt?"

"Is suicide the same sin as murder?"

Not only such a quick switch from the absurd to the serious, but pretty hard to answer all of them.  Five more classes to go before exams!  I'm going to miss this class.

sitcom

I am happy to say that I see my life like a comedy.  It's really the best genre for the way I see the world.  Also, since my other options are romance, horror, and tragedy, it's really the best option.  I have at times wondered aloud why there are never any sitcoms about teaching.  There is so much ripe material in the things that people say and do in this job.  Take this example from the past week:

On the test for Judaism, I asked, "When was the Jewish Temple destroyed?"  The answer, for those of you who don't know, is 70 AD.  Most students got this correct.  One student, however, answered "1780."  Get it?  Get it?

The students I teach are often the funniest people I come into contact with.  There's something that goes on in my head when I get into a battle of wits with my students that I can't describe, but I know I enjoy.  When they're trying to think of a way to push back a test date or raise their grades and I can outsmart them?  Amazing.  

What I enjoy even more is when the students outsmart me.  A while back, one of my students was trying to get a Starburst out of me.  Conventional asking and begging failed.  After class, she offered me a mint.  The second I put it in my mouth, she gleefully demanded a Starburst.  Dangit, I couldn't say no with that mint in my mouth.

Upon more thinking, I'm not sure a sitcom would work, really.  A teacher's cast of characters is so big, including students, co-workers, and administration, that there'd be no way to keep storylines going.  Teaching is more like a gigantic, middle school orchestra.  It's huge, messy, and chaotic on the outside.  But, every so often, that middle school orchestra surprises everybody with their harmonies and beautiful music.

I feel like this post has been very cliched and cheesy.  Forgive me.  I just don't have a ton to write about.

Right now, life is normal.  I'm teaching, scraping together something like a social life, and planning my summer and next year.  It'll be more exciting in a month or so, I swear.  New house, new experiences, new classes, new people, new season of my sitcom.