My week ahead

 Weather here is unpredictable until it turns hot.  At least that's what I've been told.  So far it matches my experience.  We have the most useless prediction for today.  50% chance of scattered showers.  I should be more gracious.  Weather systems are notoriously difficult to model and understand.  Beyond that, all of our models are based on years of observation when we lived with a different climate.  All of this was spurred by the title, and all I could think of was The Weather Channel in the 1990's.  The Local on the 8's was a local weather forecast every ten minutes that ended in an 8.  It always ended with "The week ahead..."

Tomorrow I am going to try a trivia game with my Intercultural Communication students.  These are all 4th year.  Susan lent me two games - one about Japan and one about the US.  I've pulled question cards based on proverbs, superstitions, and gestures.  I also am including cards on onomatopoeia at the suggestion of one of my SVSU students.

Before my class, I'll attend Susan's Japanese Culture class.  We're going to talk about school lunches a bit.  Like everything, this depends on the state, and even the county you live in.  I'll share my experience and point out that American television shows similar lunch systems in many programs.

After my class one of my students is going to give me a calligraphy lesson.  I've been told to "wear black or dirty clothes."  I have a shirt that I can use and I'll bring a towel to put over my legs.  I told Jen about this when we were chatting this morning, and she said she's jealous of me.  I understand where she's coming from.  I think if she were on a trip and was given observation time at a fair sized telescope it would be comparable.  I'll appreciate getting to try it and do my best to learn about it, but I won't come close to what Jen would get out of it.

This student also taught me the basic Awa dance.  The dance festival is the one thing I cannot stop myself from begin disappointed I'll miss.  Every time someone mentions it being something of a let down that I cannot travel, I tell them I know what they mean.  But I can choose to think about what I miss, or I can choose to focus on what I experience.  The latter choice brings more happiness to everyone.  The reason I find the Awa Dance festival hard to set in the "don't focus on what you will not experience" category is had I been able to come last year or had this not be a limited trip, I would have asked if I could rehearse with the University team.  At least learn the dance and practice when they did.  I may still ask, knowing that I cannot participate in the festival.  It would be a neat experience, and the dance would be an excellent workout.

I will see what the student says.

Here are two pictures from yesterday, courtesy of Brooke.

So, I only wrote about Tuesday.  Maybe I should change the title, but then I have to cut The Weather Channel stuff.  My apologies.