i couldn't tell on you if i wanted to

Tonight while walking home from work, I stopped outside a 7-11 to throw away my empty coconut-water can, but there was a guy by the recycling bin digging through it. It took a second for me to realize what he was doing--a drive-by recycling bin robbery! (You can make money by collecting recylables--for some it's a full-time--legal--job) His scooter was still running on the curb, he was wearing gloves and had a bag with him. As we made eye contact, he said "Shhhh, Shhhhh, Shhhh!" His eyes pleaded with me. What's the protocol here? Go in to 7-11 and narc? Call the cops? Throw him to the ground and take back what's rightfully the property of a trash can?

I handed him my coconut-water can and turned away, letting him escape into the night. With my pitifully limited Chinese, all I'd really be able to do is ask the 7-11 clerk to come outside. Anyway, if he's at a point in his life where he needs to sneak around in the dark robbing from recycling bins, he sure doesn't need any extra trouble.

i scare babies with my demon eyes

After the internet man had successfully destroyed my apartment (spilling my plants, etc) in his search for the right cable box, he realized that he could not complete his mission. Something about my cables not being the right match for his company's system blah blah blah. (All technology words sound like Chinese to me, no matter what language they're spoken in) Basically, I don't have internet and am sitting here in the lobby, getting munched on by mosquitoes. Mmm.

I have a new class on Tuesdays, with tiny children. Three year olds--who I'm supposed to guide through the alphabet, numbers, eventually getting to theories of relativity, I suppose, and who I'm supposed to dazzle with my exotic creativity and charms. When I walked into the classroom, one little girl jumped and screamed. She acted really shy but by the end of the class, seemed fine. Later I found out that her mom told my boss that the wee tyke is afraid of blue eyes. I have no words... except that I guarantee in about 15 years, she'll be sporting blue contacts--which is hugely popular here and honestly, it gives ME the creeps!

Yesterday one of my classes took a test about a story they'd read, which was about a girl's family vacation through the USA. I gave them an extra credit question to answer, "Which place would you like to visit, and why?" One rather chunky boy wrote "I would like to visit San Antonio, Texas, because I want to eat a beer burrito." (otherwise known as a beef burrito!)

Time for bed, mango-heads.

out of the silence!

Tomorrow I get internet in my apartment... hooray! I'll be up and running and writing soon! Okay... not running, I guess, but speed-walking maybe! :)

john friend workshop