So we're one week into the new semester, and so far, so good. I have one student who's from North Korea. She's already one of my favorites - a real sweetheart. I have a guy who did a year of High School in Indiana. I have a girl who did a year of High School in a small town near Rockford, Illinois, and has visited Madison. And the crowning of it all, there's a girl who did a year of high school in Fosston, Minnesota, and did her shopping in good ol' Grand Forks. Now isn't that crazy?
Not too much to say other than that. Will be doing some conversational English classes 2-3 nights per week. Should be pretty fun, and a good way to make some extra Baht. Loy Kratong is coming up this next week. Looking forward to that. The Thai people make these little floating devices and put candles on them, floating them in the river. It's one of the better festivals in Thailand, so I'm looking forward to seeing that.
I think that these riots in France are rather interesting, and worthy of a rant. During the chaos that followed Hurricane Katrina, the BBC brought on analyst after analyst who went on and on about how American society was so decrepit for allowing such a huge gap between the rich and the poor, and how the neglect of minorities was so manifest in what followed. Some of them went so far as to say that if a similar thing happened in Europe, everbody would "pull together" and overcome. What garbage this is, and these French riots prove it. Not that US society isn't in need of serious repair, and not that the gap between wealthy whites and poor blacks isn't deplorable, but you would think that Americans invented discrimination and poverty or something from listening to these guys, when in fact it's just as bad or even worse in other so-called industrialized countries. It took the most extreme natural disaster to bring out the worst of the ugly truths that exist in our society, while a single police chase gone bad was all it took in France. Again, I'm not saying we deserve a pass and don't desperately need to address a whole raft of questions, but Europe has the same issues, if not worse.
Anyhow, enough about that. Hail progress!
2 comments:
I began to comment here, then it got long. Please see my response at http://containersboundless.blogspot.com/
I think every country in the world has issues. I mean come on with those riots in France, every natural disaster in the United States, every single problem in the Middle East..its like wow..what is this world coming to...I personally think, its pathetic
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