The Errant Amnesiac (TM)

I’m beginning to recall some of the difficulties I experienced as a teacher in China.

I thought that teaching multi-cultural classes would be much easier or stimulating, but the challenges are much the same.

At my school, we get a continuous intake of students.  This is necessary for a continuous funding business model, but it causes problems for how classes are run.  I have to be ready every week to get a new set of students plopped right in the middle of a carefully constructed set of lesson plans.

These guys miss out on the pre-requisite units we cover, and somehow I’m supposed to just deal with it.

[read on]

The quiet week has meant for an opportunity for me to check out the Jazz Festival that's running in town. What I love about Vancouver life are the plethora of cultural and musical options available to us here about this time ... [Continue reading this entry]

Another night passes, and I cannot dream. Saying that almost seems to imply that one can willfully dream. This is not the case. Even in that partial state of sleep, I can sense my surroundings. What I had sensed this ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Cinematheque is a lovely little cinema. Reminding me more of a larger-than-normal private film room than an actual cinema, the Cinematheque was my cozy escape from the run-of-the-mill escapist filmhauses downtown.

************************************ Years ago, the cinema chains decided to do away ... [Continue reading this entry]

Every so often, Yves reminds me that there's promise of wine, women, and the dream of being "the man" if even I went in on his idea to run a vineyard in Argentina. (At least, I think it was ... [Continue reading this entry]

When I opened my eyes, I gasped. I shouldn't be sleeping. It was as if I were in a dream - something of which I haven't had much of lately (again) - and I could see myself living here, away from the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Portland, as Cal points out to me, has the most number of strip clubs per capita than any city in the US. When Patty had asked me earlier what I thought of Portland, the first thing I commented on was the ... [Continue reading this entry]

The walls are a deep red, made mild by the track lights that brighten the room on one end. I sat on the other side, near the patio doors, bathed in the stark grey light that fell through the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ever have one of those days where you wish you could just hit the big ol' reset button? That was my day today. How do you say what you want to say and not let it be interpreted in the wrong way, ... [Continue reading this entry]