ClapTrap

Work Til You Die

That seems to be the theme for foreign teachers these days, what with all the cram schools farming out their teachers to real schools. They provide little (actually no) support and still get a nice slice off the top. A kind of permanent agent that does absolutely nothing for you. Nice "work" if you can get it. Oh well, I guess I should be glad they haven't found a way to outsource the teaching to someone in India or China. Yet.

Recharge

        The Year of the Rooster was a spectacularly difficult year for me on so many fronts.  Relationships, work, politics all had nightmarish aspects to them.  Not as bad as Monkey (2004), but coming on the heels of Monkey, it was nearly unsupportable.  After the last two very tough years, likely the toughest I've yet faced, it's nice to slow down a bit and recharge my batteries in this brief new year's holiday.  Lots of reading, music, and games in the next few days.

Why Bother?

        Why care about politics?  Probably a combo of things: being brainwashed from an early age to believe in saving private ryan, truth, justice, etc.  When things get too out of whack (i.e. current situation) then it creates an effect known as cognitive dissonance; the things happening in the real world clash so seriously with what you were brought up to believe that there's a real chance that your head will explode a la South Park.  And we all know what kind of mess that would make.  I, for one, hate doing household chores.

Movies I

        Been meaning to put up a list of movies, but am afraid that a simple list of ten might not cover it, as I love films so much.  Will make a list of fifty:  best foreign, best action, best romance, best comedy, and best drama.  First, my best foreign film list:
1. Seven Samurai   Kurosawa Akira
2. Yojimbo   Kurosawa Akira
3. Kung Fu Hustle  Stephen Chow
4. The Professional  Luc Besson
5. The Fifth Element  Luc Besson
6. Pushing Hands  Ang Lee
7. Wedding Banquet  Ang Lee
8. Eat Drink, Man Woman  Ang Lee
9. Chocolat   Lasse Hallstrom
10. City of Women  Federico Fellini

Now y'all may quibble that a number of these are in English, but well, it's my list, and there may be a certain crossover between the various lists.  So there.

Go Along, Get Along

        You really want to.  No one likes to go around with a load of hate in their hearts (ok, no one sane likes to do so).  It's really draining, and depressing as well.  You can forgive most of the transgressions, but there comes a point when something done was just so wrong, so hurtful, that you have to deny your own sense of right, your own feelings, even your own existence to allow that person absolution.  Don't go there.  Draw a cold clear line and let nothing cross it.  You owe yourself at least as much.

It's Not What You Think

           Arrested Development to be cancelled after three seasons.  Whoa, that really sucks.  First Firefly, now this.  What is Fox thinking?

This Is Big

            Even my students take time out (during break time, natch) to read this.  In Mandarin, of course.

Awww...

    Feeling blue?  Go read this post.  Made me tear right up.  Not that that's saying much, as I get teary-eyed during tv commercials.