Alice in Wonderland, Revisited

I live for classes like the one I've got now. It's the class that reminds me every week why I enjoy being a teacher. They give me hope for the future, for them and myself

Though it's hard to see clearly, their is great significance in the above picture. Notice the level of detail, the clear sense of joy that went into its creation, and the evidence that a group of like minds and hearts produced it together, all the while engaging the material they were meant to learn.

What amazes me most, though, was not only did that group impress me, but they also managed to impress their fellow classmates. During the feedback stage, this group's work had other students crowding around to read the bubbles, laugh at the jokes, and even take pictures with their phones. And that's when you know you've got something good goin' on! That's when the teacher passes on his or her passion to the students, and the students in turn not only receive it, but amplify it for everyone's benefit.

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Chinese Chess - Cờ Tướng - 象棋

The latest interest I've taken in my quest to learn more about my Vietnamese heritage is the game of Chinese chess. It is a bit ironic to look for Vietnamese culture in a game that has the word "Chinese" in its name, but I found that it is only so for the sake of translation. I have taken to this game for a number of reasons. 1. The game has cool historical references that have survived even today. Let's start with the board itself. Unlike a chess board, which is played on the squares, Chinese chess is played on the intersections of lines. What is most recognizably different from normal chess boards, however, is the large gap in the middle of the board as well as the lines that form an "x" on opposites sides of the board. The square that contains the "x" is known as the "fortress," or 宮(gōng ) in Chinese. The center divider is the river where s ome Chinese words are visible. The words on the left say, 楚河 (chǔ hé ) , mean...

As a person who's done a fair amount of traveling, I couldn't agree more with this:

Paradise Falls wouldn't even hold a candle to this place.

Waiting and Waiting

March 1st. Now every day for the next two weeks will be agonizing torture. Have I been accepted? Have I been rejected? Will my career advance? Will I be right back where I was this time last year? I've been told to be patient, keep my head up, to not worry about things that aren't in my control. That's tough going, but I'm trying. How apt, then, that I'd come across this quote again: “I wanted you to see what real courage is...It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” I thought my chances were small in the beginning, but I did see it through. Now back to waiting to see if this time is my "sometime."

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