June 24th: Friday parties and dinner with Mickey

Day 281

Woke with a headache and a hazy recollection. Tents. Keg beer. Four parties to go. I tried to sort my head and stomach out, had some coffee, dashed off to the first class. I had to beg them to be good since Kip, Mitch and Vinnie Bufante weren't doing their eye exercises and someone had turned on the TV to NBA. The only one who was behaving was Sleepy LaBeef, whom I played the Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping" in tribute.


Kip (Very Angry)


Sleepy LaBeef


Vinnie Bufante


Mitch

Next was class 2 with July and Alice, whom I gave push-pops to in gratitude of their help with the Christmas program and for generally being wonderful students. I told themI loved them all very much and thanked them for being good (after all one class over did not have a party for being rotten bastards) and got a tinge choked-up saying it.


Alice


July

Heather came by and we went to the hotel for toasted ham-n-cheese sandwiches, carrot juice, our stomachs not able to handle much more. We saw a microscopic praying mantis on the way back in to the school, took some pictures.

She got to nap while I had the last two parties. Class 7 was an unleashed torrent of energy, mobbing me for souvenirs even after dispensing snacks, papers, buttons and pennies. I had to scream "sit down" many times. At least the madness kept it from getting too sentimental. Eleanor glitter-bombed my hand, Bill gave me a hug and talked about bikinis and swimming, I autographed a million pieces of paper, Tabitha asked questions, and I was given a few gifts.


Bill loves swimming, bikinis, and swimming.


Eleanor


Tabitha

Then on to Class 8, where Jimmy, Pete, Simon, DJ, Clyde, Catherine and Bella all got special gifts from me in recognition of their cleverness and personalities, eating with me in the dining hall, and showing a genuine interest in learning English. When it was over, a relief came over, but not a thinderous finality. It still seemed like I would teach them next week, that the routine would spin on. It probably won't hit me until I'm on American soil. I am grateful for the sudden leaving Cincinnati back in September. I think a week of prolonged goodbyes (like this week) would have been too much to bear.


the class 8 posse (clockwise from top left)DJ Wishywashy, Jimmy, Simon, Clyde, Pete, Bella, Catherine.

Heather and I rode back to the middle school, ate popsicles to rehydrate (damn you keg beer!) and sunbathed on the roof, as the sky was unhazy in late afternoon for once. We sought out Mickey to have dinner with and after collecting Rhys and Jeni, walked down to the place above the bakery. They sat us at a table downstairs for once (much cooler) and I polished off a plate of their spicy fried rice with ravenous urgency. Every glass of water they poured I drained immediately. I taught Mickey two important English terms: "sucks" and "noggin."


restaurant adjacent to bakery


Heather and Mickey candid


Heather and Mickey posed


Constable and the Missus Jeni


'Toast and his tiny tiny bakery girl pal

After procuring some bakery stuff for the morning, we went back to Rhys and Jeni's room and tried to watch my copy of "Birth" but it turned out to be a "filmed in theater" boot, so we switched to "Fight Back to School" a Stephen Chow film from 1991. It was hilarious. Jackie Chan may have invenetd the kung fu comedy, but Chow perfected it. I'll see anything he's in and I hope "Kung Fu Hustle" will still be in the theaters when I get back.

Before bed, I uploaded pictures until my eyes got dry, watched Australian football for a bit, the succumbed to sweet slumber.