Fire, Fire, Fire!

So, today at MEP there was a fire.

It was after lunch, and we were all settling back in to studying. China was cleaning up after lunch with May's help, and everything was at peace. Everyone worked pretty independently, so Shannan and I were shamelessly taking a Harry Potter quiz on which I scored far too high. Had it official scoring, my ranking would be "Harry Potter Genius, Unless you're over 16... Then you just need to get a life."

We discarded the quiz and actually attempted to work, helping where we could or just tidying up the place since we had to leave at one today.

At quarter past noon, Rose and Toni rushed into the classrooms and said "Fire, Everyone evacuate the building."

We all stared at them blankly. Fire at MEP? How could that be?

"Fire!" they said again and blew a whistle. "Please move to your nearest exit."

A thought ran through my mind of those recordings before a movie, "In the event of a fire, please walk, do not run, to the nearest marked exit." How many people actually leave a theatre in a fire? I have been in several theatres where the film has burned through and we all sat there, like mindless zombies. We wanted our entertainment, not some fire drill. Had it been a reel fire, we all would have been dead.

I came to my senses and followed Shannan as she attempted to go get her keys. Rose shooed us back, "Go to the nearest exit, this is a FIRE!"

Shannan and I turned around defeated. Bummer, I thought, I wore a rain coat today and I actually want to use it. We stand outside in the rain, the bus is opened for anyone who wishes to stay dry. Shannan and I stand there, in the rain, getting wetter and wetter by the second. Why don't we go onto the bus? I suppose because we thought the whole ordeal was a tad ridiculous.

Word quickly spread that the fire was started in the oven, while it was self cleaning. This would be why we thought it was ridiculous. If they'd have asked me, I would have told them to turn it off and the fire will go out. I mean its a no brainer: no heat and no oxygen= some smoke but no fire. But no one asked me, we were just asked to wait outside in the rain for the fire department to come as the building filled with smoke. We all know the fire dept does not respond well in this area.

"Get under an umbrella, dear," someone said to me. I ignored them, what can I say? I am stubborn and thought that maybe if I stayed out in the rain it would all be washed away, like a dream after you wake. I was wrong, instead all I got was a headache and wet hair.

At 12:45 we are told we could go back in. All in all, not too long outside, but all could have been solved if someone had just turned it off in the first place.

I walk to the back and hunt for a brush, I needed to tame this mess I was calling hair. Sr. Janette had one in her desk, you can find everything in her desk. A few weeks back there was this sign in sheet that was missing, we hunted and hunted and hunted for it. Guess where we found it. Buried in a pile on Sr. Janette's desk. I bet if you searched long enough you could find some real gems hidden there.

The director was telling everyone to head home. There was no sense, she said, in inhaling all the smoke. To a point I agree with her, but I have another job to get to.

At one Shannan and I grab our things and head out, by that time it is no longer raining and my rain coat is useless. So much for actually trying to prepare for the elements today.

Number Trouble

Numbers:
They were always elusive and enigmatic to me in school, but after years of practice and studying I finally began to understand how they worked. I had conquered numbers and I would never forget how they worked
SUCCESS!

Numbers in Action:
I tutor at a GED facility. Of course, everyone needs help with math, because, like me, no one likes numbers. I am initially hesitant because I remember my struggles with algebra and computation. Quickly, though, I gain confidence as I realize that I can actually tutor math. I can do anything! I can teach anything!

An Obstacle Presents Itself:
A woman is working on basic math functions, specifically decimals. She asks if I can help her. “Sure,” I say confidently. I have been working with decimals since I was 7 years old, I should know them by now… I know them all right, but I sure as hell can’t explain them. A college graduate and I can’t for the life of me explain decimals.

Action:
I try explaining, I try drawing pictures, and I even try miming out decimals. I try for about twenty minutes with books and anything else I can think of, before just looking at the woman and admitting that I am not eloquent with decimals. I know them but I just can’t explain them. Maybe she would be better suited learning it from a book, and then asking me questions later.

Resolution:
She walks away with the materials I gave her, while I flop in a chair and sigh a defeated sigh.

I am learning more and more that I have a problem communicating all the thoughts in my head. I often have to say things two or three times to convey completely what I mean to both of my roommates. I have always prides myself with my communication skills, but I suppose we are never as good at something as we think we are.

All I can say is that I’ve never had so many problems explaining things as I have this year at home.

Warm weather and sunshine are the two necessary elements to dust off the cobwebs of winter and inspire people to get outside, do things... and maybe even follow their dreams.

The Shot of a Lifetime

I crumpled my notes, what good are they when I have them copied elsewhere. Recycle bin in view, I set up my shot. I toss the paper up and it sails through the air. It hits the edge of the basket. It goes in! SCORE!

Now I can be lazy and finish writing while no one needs my tutoring assistance.

Espresso Soda

Apparently espresso soda is an abomination and that you can not say you're a coffee lover if you also drink espresso soda. Espresso soda is two basically good things put together that should not be put together. According to a friend, my judgement as a coffee drinker is obsolete.


now what do you think of that?

English Streamlined...

A friend sent this to me... thought it was funny:

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby Englishwill be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that Englishspelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-inplan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this willmake the sivil servants jump with joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear upkonfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when thetroublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted toreach the stage where! more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have alwaysben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag isdisgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with"z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining"ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tuunderstand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl

Horoscopes, Birth Months, Eye Color, and Personalities

On facebook, and yes I surrendered myself to the pure evil that is facebook (that's another story), my friend posted one of these silly "used to be e-mail chain letters" as a note. It was with regards to eye color and birth month; here is mine:

Hazel Eyes

people with hazel eyes have the best long loving relationships. they're awesome at diversity and trying new things and very rarely will say no to ANY challenge.

August

outgoing personality. takes risks. feeds on attention. no self control. kind hearted. self confident. loud and boisterous. VERY revengeful. easy to get along with and talk to. has an "every thing's peachy" attitude. likes talking and singing. loves music. daydreamer. easily distracted. Hates not being trusted. BIG imagination. loves to be loved. hates studying. in need of "that someone" longs for freedom. rebellious when withheld or restricted. lives by "no pain no gain" caring. always a suspect. playful. mysterious. "charming" or "beautiful" to everyone. stubborn. curious. independent. strong willed. a fighter.

What always amazes me about these things is how accurate they seem. It's crazy, Like they've picked my brain and found exactly who I am based on my eye color and when I was born. Dude, that's some crazy shit!

If you couldn't pick up on it, I was being completely sarcastic. I mean, what do they do, find everyone with that color eyes or birth month and follow them around for their whole life to determine these common traits? How can someone possibly reduce someones personality to their birth month or eye color? Its just not possible.

Yet, we still see people dumbfounded by the fact that their entire personality (or so they like to believe) is summed up in a little paragraph and classified by their birth month. Let me clue you in: 1. take note that each description is VERY vague and could apply to anyone 2. Most people probably just read their own and fail to realize how vague they all are.

Why do we do this? Why do we have a constant need to want to have answers for every little facet of our existence? I mean I am guilty of it too, but I still wonder why we have this desire to answer all of these little questions about life by boxing ourselves into a little package. Sometimes it's like were trying to solve all the little mysteries about ourselves and about our world before we truly experience it.

To some extent, and the mystics will back me on this one, you have to know yourself in the spiritual and physical realm in order to grow. In turn trying to understand who you are and where your motivations come from are essential to further growth and understanding. I just caution you to not get caught up in these tests and games, and to actually experience and understand as you live.