Mom and Dad are having a good time. Monsoon season has started, but so far we've only had one really rainy day. They brought a Reader's Digest from Canada for me to read, which is where I found the GEOGRAPHY CHALLENGE at www.geographyzone.com You have 200 seconds to locate 10 countries selected at random. When you start the quiz, you also enter your home Country ~ for someone who's had a world map on their wall since University, I got a dismal score! I'm sad to say I've decreased Canada's score by 0.003% Sorry!

Hooray!!! Mom & Dad arrive in Korea tomorrow!!! I might not have time to write much while they are here. I hope they'll get along well with the cat....

Not much has been happening lately in my awake hours, but I've been keeping a 'dream journal' since February. Here are some exerpts:

March 5.
I was in prison ~ Martha Stewart style. However, I couldn't find my name on any of the team activity lists (which were written in English and Korean), so I always felt I was late for something, but I didn't know what.

March 6.
I ate a sea-cucumber, and it was gross. I tried to spit it out, but one little piece in the middle of my tongue kept growing back. I'd wipe it off, but it would grow back and keep wiggling.

April 3.
Toilet plungers and potted plants. That's what last nights dreams were made of.

April 12.
I was supposed to be getting married at a roadside diner/gas station. When we arrived to set up, the army had comandeered the area. Luckily, I had my own Stealth Helicopter, and while I distracted the soldiers with tours of the helicopter, my friends set up the wedding in the woods behind the diner.

May 22
Queen Elizabeth was getting married again (I don't know what happened to Prince Philip, but I seem to think he was invited to the wedding) and I was invited to the wedding too, because Prince Charles was my professor. I arrived a few days prior to the nuptuals and helped the groom make mincemeat, while my Mom and Dad helped the Queen roll candied fruit in marzipan.

What a day.

7:14am. I get a text-message from my student, wondering why I'm not at the office. I politely clarified for him that his make-up exam was supposed to be at 11:00am, NOT 7:00am.

9:00am. Still sleeping. I'm dreaming of a sweaty mechanic (don't ask, and no, it wasn't that type of dream). I wake up with my arm wrapped around my head, and realize it's me that needs a shower, not my dream.

11:00am. I meet my student for his make-up exam, and intend to go to the bank downstairs afterwards. My bankbook and wallet are both still at home. drat.

1:00pm - 3:00pm. I'm in class listening to my students speaking exams. The first 3 pairs came in with absolutely nothing prepared, and stared at me in silence until I told them to come back on Friday.

4:00pm. I'm cutting a piece of cheese, with my hand carefully placed on the back edge of the knife. My hand slips and I manage to stab myself in the thumb anyway. As I'm rinsing off the blood, the phone starts ringing, and stops as soon as I've grabbed a paper towel.

5:25pm. I didn't know the answer to Final Jeopardy

8:00pm - 10:00pm. Grading exams. Question: How many children do you want to have? Answer: Yes. I am will going swim yesterday. Did I teach them anything??

10:22pm. I think I have a sty in my eye.

I'm going to bed, and will try again tomorrow!

Today was Exam Day! All the freshman English students wrote their exams, which makes for a very long day for the teachers. (well, hour wise it's not that bad...but hour after hour of listening to the script, and then watching students write is quite dull).

Luckily, our friend Eva was the recipient of a surprise bridal shower this evening, which put a nice cap on the day.

I'm also including a link here for "Store Wars". If you haven't yet seen it, and you are either a Star Wars fan, or a responsible shopper, you should watch it. I laughed and laughed. Then I went about my day. Then I watched it again, and I laughed and laughed. Enjoy. http://www.storewars.org/flash/

WHEW!! I've finally finished my last essay for my Linguistics course. I'm free until September, and may even go outside tomorrow to remind myself what the sun looks like. I seem to recall a big warm ball in the sky...

I approached this essay differently than the essays that got me through University:

1) I actually read the articles I used as references. I didn't just grab a few quotes and build a paragraph around them.
2) I wrote this essay during daylight hours, and was not sleep deprived, nor had I replaced all my natural bodily fluids with Tim Horton's coffee.
3) I didn't just grab the closest theory and run with it, showing a complete disregard for my own opinions and those held by actually credible scholars.
4) "Spellcheck" was not synonymous with "proofreading".

Having made these changes, and in so doing deviated from my tried, tested & true essay methods which served me well in my undergrad days, I hope I pass!