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The East Coast Counselor Blog

I have no brain. I'm here with my bird sitting under my hair on the back of my neck, and I'm a little headachy from my wine. I thought I was going to work tonight but in fact I was supposed to work Wednesday night. Something of a screw up.

Hey y'all, my brother is giving a seminar on "Identification and Estimation of the Efficiency and Equity Effects of Segregation" in mid-November. I like the idea that the effects of segregation can be measured and understood. I don't know if I believe it though, but I like the idea.

There is a mouse that has been crawling into Lester's cage and eating his food. I don't like this.

I have a balcony. Near the balcony are some trees. In the trees there are birds. The birds sing when the sun goes down. This is something I like.

Things my students have mentioned about the United States:

1. Strangers come up to them and make (usually) nice comments about their children.
2. People in the United States like free things.

Some things I learned today teaching ESL:

I almost never use the imparative command form. Rarely do I even bother with some of the stronger modals used to give advice (I suggest..., we ought to..., we must...etc) or make polite requests (would you mind....?). Instead, I use a very meek and polite "Let's..." or "Why don't we...?" I used "shall I..." in a poem once.

In Papua New Guinea there are Sulfer-Crested Cockatoos. I knew one named Surf. He ate our bananas. I should like to go birdwatching in Papua New Guinea someday.

There was a very large bug in my classroom this morning. It was fast and had many legs.

Look at some pictures of Tabubil (ooo, I used the imparative form)! I was there when I was a youngin' and one could (maybe one still can) swim in the rivers--I forget which one we swam in--either the OK Tedi or the OK Minga. But there is STILL no real workable road to Tabubil, more than twenty years later.

If anyone would like to fund my inevitable return trip to Tabubil, send me an email.