Now that you teach, I imagine your perception of university life is a bit different than when we were the "customers." Do you think the students are different, or might it be just us? What do you think of students who don't bother to attend your class each time?
Oh, don’t get me started. But you know, I didn’t feel like a customer when I was in college. I felt “lucky to be there,” or at least that’s what I was told over and over again. What was the magic bullet that let me in the door to my alma mater, and not the 7 other kids from my high school who applied and were rejected? (It must have been that poem about nuclear war that I sent in along with my application. Ha.).
But I definitely feel like my students are customers, and I am the server. Or, as I told a friend the other day, I am a waitress of ideas. Low wages, bad tips. I’ve said it before, but I feel a tremendous pressure to keep those customers HAPPY.
That said, many of my students are incredibly active, and my class is just a tiny spot in their lives. A student might be an Assistant Manager at Blockbuster AND President of the Student Senate AND Co-chair of the Save the Elephants Auction AND an intern at Microsoft. When I was in college, I just read books (oh, and I also drove a recycling truck. But that’s a different story).
The thing about the kids who don’t come to class is that I get 30 emails afterwards asking me what they missed. And I say, “You missed class.”
I do wonder how you select your reading list for your books, and how do you find time to read on top of everything else?
Do you mean the books I assign in my classes? I tend to pick books that have a good, narrative style, because I’ve found that many students, especially younger students, tend to connect emotionally with a topic before they connect intellectually. (Plus, good stories make them HAPPY).
But if you mean the books I read on my own, I tend to choose those by browsing around. I read Nancy Pearl’s suggestions. I check out new releases on amazon.com. I’m on goodreads.com, and I poke around there. I read the New York Times Book Review. And I like to go to bookstores, too. And as for the time thing, I’ve always been a big reader. It’s like breathing to me. The TV writers’ strike helps, too.
We want to know what is the favorite ethnic food at your house and do B&G ever eat it too?
We definitely have pan-Asian palates. Japanese, Chinese, Thai…And yes, the boys eat it, too, in large volumes. After all, noodles are beige.
Do you want to live overseas? Even if only for a six month stretch? How old would Blue and Green need to be before you would take them out of the country for that long?
It would be fun, but I think I’d rather do something like that when the kids are older and better able to entertain themselves. Right now our lives are consumed by trying to keep the boys busy and fed and exercised. That seems so much harder if you’re sitting in some cobble-stoned little village where you don’t speak the language and you’re under tremendous pressure to drink a big bottle of wine during the afternoon siesta and again in the evening. But you should ask ECM and Shawn, two of this blog’s loyal readers. They’re currently hanging out in Rome for three months with their five year old and are having a great time. I’ve heard that the kid keeps busy by licking the peeling lead paint off the walls.
When you drive/fly/ship Blue and Green off to their respective colleges of choice, how will you know how you did as a parent?
I don’t think that moment will be the point of measurement. I’ll judge success ten years later by seeing whether one is able to buy me a big house with a view of the water. That’s all I care about. I’ll leave it to their professors to make sure that they’re HAPPY.
If you find out that you're going to die tomorrow and you can choose whatever you want for your last meal, what would you choose and why?
Well, I think I’d have to combine elements of my some of my favorite meals into one big multicultural feast. (Warning: This probably won't mean anything to you unless you live in my city). I’d start with some calamari from Toyoda Sushi. And then I’d have a margarita and a green enchilada plate from Santa Fe Cafe. And some fried spring rolls from Araya's Vegetarian Thai. And I’d end with a cup of Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream from Baskin Robbins. Why? Well, why not? If I’m sick the next day, who cares?
How do you tell Blue and Green apart from a distance? Do you regard dressing them in different colors as a kindness to others, and if so, should we thank you when you do this?
From a distance? Hmmm. Green is a little thicker. Blue has two cowlicks in the back of his head, giving him rather noticeable sprouts of hair. Green’s head is round like a basketball, while Blue’s is a bit more oval. Blue is usually the one who is jabbering.
Their teacher has thanked us for color coding them, so we keep doing it. But you know what’s funny? There have been at least three occasions when strangers have approached me and started a conversation that goes like this:
Weirdo: Are they twins?
Me: Yes.
Weirdo: You might want to get that checked to be sure. They don’t really look alike.
We want to know what is the favorite ethnic food at your house and do B&G ever eat it too?
We definitely have pan-Asian palates. Japanese, Chinese, Thai…And yes, the boys eat it, too, in large volumes. After all, noodles are beige.
Do you want to live overseas? Even if only for a six month stretch? How old would Blue and Green need to be before you would take them out of the country for that long?
It would be fun, but I think I’d rather do something like that when the kids are older and better able to entertain themselves. Right now our lives are consumed by trying to keep the boys busy and fed and exercised. That seems so much harder if you’re sitting in some cobble-stoned little village where you don’t speak the language and you’re under tremendous pressure to drink a big bottle of wine during the afternoon siesta and again in the evening. But you should ask ECM and Shawn, two of this blog’s loyal readers. They’re currently hanging out in Rome for three months with their five year old and are having a great time. I’ve heard that the kid keeps busy by licking the peeling lead paint off the walls.
When you drive/fly/ship Blue and Green off to their respective colleges of choice, how will you know how you did as a parent?
I don’t think that moment will be the point of measurement. I’ll judge success ten years later by seeing whether one is able to buy me a big house with a view of the water. That’s all I care about. I’ll leave it to their professors to make sure that they’re HAPPY.
If you find out that you're going to die tomorrow and you can choose whatever you want for your last meal, what would you choose and why?
Well, I think I’d have to combine elements of my some of my favorite meals into one big multicultural feast. (Warning: This probably won't mean anything to you unless you live in my city). I’d start with some calamari from Toyoda Sushi. And then I’d have a margarita and a green enchilada plate from Santa Fe Cafe. And some fried spring rolls from Araya's Vegetarian Thai. And I’d end with a cup of Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream from Baskin Robbins. Why? Well, why not? If I’m sick the next day, who cares?
How do you tell Blue and Green apart from a distance? Do you regard dressing them in different colors as a kindness to others, and if so, should we thank you when you do this?
From a distance? Hmmm. Green is a little thicker. Blue has two cowlicks in the back of his head, giving him rather noticeable sprouts of hair. Green’s head is round like a basketball, while Blue’s is a bit more oval. Blue is usually the one who is jabbering.
Their teacher has thanked us for color coding them, so we keep doing it. But you know what’s funny? There have been at least three occasions when strangers have approached me and started a conversation that goes like this:
Weirdo: Are they twins?
Me: Yes.
Weirdo: You might want to get that checked to be sure. They don’t really look alike.
When did the Scotch thing start?
You’re referring to my enjoyment of single malt scotch. I think I first tried it in my twenties, when Michael and I went to a scotch bar (long since closed). Scotch is fun, because it’s half snooty refinement/half tough-guy cool. And it makes me happy without causing me to slide under the table.
Of course, my love of scotch can get me into trouble. When the kids were just two years old, we had a little backyard party. The boys came outside with sippy cups filled with apple juice. They proudly told the crowd, “Look at our scotch!”
No, really, I don’t drink it that often. And the kids only get some after they finish their chores.
Who’s going to be the first sponsor of your blog?
What, you think I’m going to sell out?
Uh, anyone want to sponsor this blog?
7 comments:
Toyoda Sushi? Helen, one of the owners, was my student a long time ago. You see the other advantage of teaching is that sometimes you have students who go in to useful occupations like own restaurants instead of getting PhD's. They don't ask you for recommendations; they give you free food. I'm always encouraging my students to become tile layers, plumbers, electricians, general contractors, or just plain millionaires who own houses in Maui...but they don't listen. They want to read books and be writers.
I laughed out loud at several points during this installment, especially at the kid licking the lead paint off the walls. He does NOT, by the way. He likes to PEEL it off, leave it in flakes on the floor, and then lick the dust off each of his fingers as if it were Nutella. And we agree with your parenting style: he only gets his daily ration of Roman wine after he's traced his ABCs on his homework pages.
But I digress. You are hilarious. If I had enough euros I'd sponsor you. Somebody buy this blog.
Thanks, you guys. I can tell that you're becoming European, because you're talking about Nutella. And seriously, you know the owner of Toyodas?!?! I want some free calamari! We eat there all the time.
mmmmm....Nutella....
I would ABSOLUTELY sponsor your blog---but only if, in return, you kicked my ass into shape so I actually MAINTAINED my own blog!!! Argh...
By the way, my kids only get the vodka after mommy gets a pedicure...is that wrong?
No, that's just as it should be: pretty feet, first; drunk kids, second.
Annie's a single malt scotch aficionada too.
I love "you missed class" as a retort to "what did I miss"?
In a related vein, see this:
http://beingandwriting.blogspot.com/2007/12/sanity-101.html
Hilarious! So true about the printing problems and the dead relatives (and the high fevers! I always get people with high fevers).
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