Recurring dream

I had this dream - which was a continuation from the dream from last Thursday - that the family was finally able to reclaim the things we left at some inn as a hostage. They included furniture, pictures, shoes and mom got some beautiful sweaters back. I got some funky shoes back too. We got there just in time. If we were just a bit late, all of our things would have been auctioned off.

Last time the dream ended when I wondered what were the things we left behind. This may come from the times when my parents were running from debtors and we lived from hotel to hotel but we could not pay so we left everything and ran off at night. So I always wondered when my possession would end.

I felt good about these dreams.

It's snowing!

I heard a loud thunder and lightening, then saw the snow. The principal is going around forbidding everyone not to turn the heat on in the afternoon because - the temperature rises to above zero. So the kids and teachers are all wearing coats in the classroom. I don't know why they don't use the coal heater. I hope at least there will be a long winter vacation.

I had the teacher come to control the class for the 6th graders. They are trying to be cool and troublesome.

My stomach ache yesterday really was quite something. I thought I was going to faint. I am amazed that I feel fine today.

I am studying grammar and realize that I never learnt that stuff!. It turns out that during the time I was being educated, they underplayed the grammar. It probably is due to the fact also, that I went to French high school. Anyways, I'm glad to be learning it -- better late than never.

Having a different cold

I got a flu shot for about 25 bucks. But I guess it's no good for common colds. I think I'm getting a new different kind of cold on top of the one that's going away in andante. I still kinda sound funky. I have this guy who's pretending to be a brit via skype but I can tell that he's from an arab country. His English is awful and he gave me his only son's name. Except that he forgot that he told me one name last week and he gave another one this time. He says he lives in London but in his profile, it says Liverpool. Why does he go through all that hoola-hoop I wonder. So far I was amused by the maskerade. I told him he "sounds" more like an arab guy. I'm beginning to develop an "already always listening" about the arab guys.

Having a cold

It is warmer here than in Canada - however, there hasn't been any heat for the last 2 weeks where the temperature was hovering around 4-10 degrees so it felt as though I was in the fridge all day. Well so with all my turtle necks (I never wear them in Canada until the temperature goes down to about 20 below), I got a cold. My voice is funky and I cannot seem to be as effectively nasty to quiet down the kids.

I have fun with some of them and must admit they are growing on me. For example this girl Kate, she always begs me for English tests. She goes through them like pop corns. She makes funny duck noise. I thinks she's a very bright kid.

There's also this kid who comes to school from an orphanage. Well his parents left him there when they got a divorce. It seems that they re-married and stop coming to visit him. Yet, he's bright and upbeat. He doesn't seem to grow as fast as others. I gave him an alphabet book to encourage him to learn it. I think it may have worked.

World is going the right way

I have been feeling outside the loop, not making a headway, feeling guilty, etc... about making this world a better place. It seems however, that there are leaps and bounds :
For example, the Microcredt movement - Alliance of Students Against Poverty - http://www.asap2025.org/. This fundraising mechanism aims to have 2 million people give $1 a day till 2025 to fund micro finance organizations and then in turn eradicate poverty by 2025.

The one laptop per child has started to produce so it is now (as of November 2007) available to buy by the general public at $400 a piece - one will go to you (or your child) and another will go to another poor child in a poor country.

So I just gathered evidence towards my promise - without actually doing much. Loving it.

Uncle#2 post Landmark Forum

My uncle before the Landmark Forum: would drink periodically. Sometimes until he's in a stupor and will have a reall downer moments for several days. It drove everyone absolutely crazy, especially my 96 year old grandmother who still feels guilty sending him to his uncle to be his son - a common custom in Korea at the time.

My uncle after the Landmark Forum: Still drinks periodically, but manages to be pleasant drunk. He still blames his mom but doesn't seem to harbor that dark resentment/blame towards her anymore. His mood is light and seems more receptive to suggestions - especially that makes hime work around the house. He also seems to enjoy participating with the seminar.

In one word: transformation - ok it did not fix him completely in 3 days as I hoped. But it's impressive so far.


At work, it's getting chilly and the school hasn't started heating yet. So it feels like I'm in a fridge all day. There was a 6 year old hiding out in the bathroom because he missed the bus to go to the day care and could not go back home. He didn't have his mom's phone number but said his sister comes to this school. He didn't remember what grade he was in. Finally the school administrator found the sister's name and called the mother to come and pick him up. It was an event ful day on Thursday.

I don't know why the kids insist on screaming their head off. Especially 1st and 4th graders. For the 4th grader, I kept talking quieter and quieter and that drove them absoloutely nuts.