June 16th: final triple threat peaks-n-valleys

Day 273

Another day, more peaks and valleys. The Ultraman class, a shining example of Junior 2 retaining their goodness, opened my morning and set high standards for the triple threat.

Class 1, was almost a carbon copy of the Harry/Monkey class from the previous day. I gave every chance in the world for them to shut up, finally resorting to cancelling the party. Still they jabbered away. I didn't feel as torn sentencing this group, as none of them are particularly memorable or likable, except Summer, whose grin when coupled with her behavior turns into a mocking mask.

The next class I begged to be good and warned them of the prices of excessive talking. Only one kid kept doing it so I singled him out. "I told you to shut up, why did you keep talking?"

He stood there stonewalling.

"I tell you not to talk and you talk. Now I want you to talk and you're not talking. Great. Apologize to the class and we will still have the party next week."

After a few church-mouse mumbles, I got him to say sorry at an audible volume. Curtis and Jason pointed at him, said "He is very foolish. He is a bad student."

"What was he talking about?" I asked them.

They pointed to the meek girl in front of him (Nancy I think her name is) and said "They were talking to each other."

"I did not see her talking. She may have been listening, but his mouth was moving and words were coming out."

"They are both bad students," they chimed. This made nancy burst into tears and put her head on the desk. Great. I made them apologize to her. The lesson should have been apologizing and hurting people's feelings. I told her she was not a bad student. "She is very clever and very nice. She says hi to me in the halls."

She looked up, wiped tears away, nodded. Needless drama. I discussed their bringing snacks and cameras next week and then the class descended into "colorwolf" and "player" accusations and all was normal again.

The next class, I summed up the day as one really good class, one very bad class, and one "ma ma hu hu" class. "Will you please be good today?" They said they would and they were. The last Thursday triple threat and I survived it.

I ran into Bella, Harry's girlfriend on the way back to my place. "Harry is your friend, right?"

"Ting bu dong."

"You know Harry?"

"Yes."

"He is your friend?"

"Yes." (I guess I just didn't ask it the right way.)

"His class was very bad. I told them if they talked there would be no party. They talked so they will get no party. I want to have a party with them. Can you tell Harry if his class apologizes, then we will have the party?"

She nodded, ran off with her friend Emily on her arm. Hopefully the word gets to them. I want to have fun with them, especially to give Jellybean some jelly beans. At dinner, Victoria sat with me, said "I am going on holiday this summer and want to buy you something. How much should I spend?"

Flattered, I almost choked on my bite of food. In Mandarin I said "A little, a little."

"I want to teach you Chinese."

"Ok."

We spent the remainder of the meal working on my pronunciation of "Mr. Willis" in Chinese and how to say "my name is." Why did she wait until the very last week to start interacting? She's not particularly shy, so maybe it's jus my looming expiration date calling for desperate measures.

I went up to the middle school and, empty of the crew who had gone to the blue pacman, I filled up an arsenal of water balloons in Heather's red basin. Erin came by and we watched "Willard" until it was late enough to commence the saturation bombing. The outdoor eatery people across the street were right there, so we had to be careful. After a couple of misfires (the new condom-thin balloons are hard to gauge the strength with which you can toss, lest it break in your midthrow) I let one hurl perfectly right in front of a motorcyclist. He stopped,tunred around and asked the eatery folk if they had done it. It was too risky to continue the operation with them still about, so we joined the others down at the tents for some liquid refreshment.

I brought the racquet and was glad I did, the mosquitos were legion. All I had to do was wave it in the air David Copperfield-style and a half dozen would be popping and sparking on it. When they started flying into my face and getting in my goatee, I'd had enough. I left, retired myself into the air conditioned confines and slept away the minutes until Friday's morning greeted me.